Vacant
by EchoSerenade
Summary: Hotel: "Well, what do we have here? You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" My eyes snapped open as I heard the male voice speak in a strange accent. When I looked around, I saw no one was around me. Was I hearing things? James/OC/? (Fifth in my AHS series) Trigger warning. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

_**Warning :**_ _Rated M as usual._

 _ **Disclaimer :**_ _I do not own American Horror Story and this is applicable for this entire story and the series._

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

I was sitting in the living room, watching my brother converse with the cops. His wife was in hysterics. When she wasn't crying and screaming at him, she was pacing in the kitchen, muttering to herself. I knew that she blamed him for what happened and me, as well.

This was supposed to be a happy day. While my niece was still too young to join us, John and I were going to take Holden to the amusement park. This was one of his only days off and he wanted to spend as much of it as he could with his children.

We were there for hours and Holden was beginning to complain that his feet were tired, so we thought the carousel would be a good fun and resting place for him. When John had to take a call during the ride, I had my eyes on him the entire time or… I did whenever he spun back towards us.

He waved at me with each revolution, but near the end of the ride as it was slowing down, he had suddenly disappeared. He wasn't on his horse, anymore. I ran around the attraction, calling his name, but I couldn't see him anywhere.

"Holden?" I heard John call out. "Holden?!"

I ran back to him. The panic on my face was enough to confirm his fears. "John…"

"Didn't you have your eyes on him?!" he shouted.

"I did!" I told him. "I was watching him the entire time, but then… He was just gone. I don't know how!"

"Then you couldn't have watched him properly!" he growled. "No one is able to just vanish! He must've run off or someone fuckin' took him!" He ran his hand angrily through his hair.

"I'm sorry, John. I swear… It's as if he just disappeared into thin air!" Tears began to cloud my vision as the dread continued to eat at me. Images of a broken blonde boy being tortured or killed flooded my mind. "I didn't mean to lose him…" I had to cover my face to hide from the stares from all around us.

He rubbed his eyes. "No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have been talking on my phone. Maybe if I had been on the other side…"

"Or maybe he just went back to the games?" I suggested, hoping that that had been the case. Holden had been enamoured by the large stuffed animals, but neither John nor I were skilled enough to win one for him. Perhaps he had gone back there.

We searched the grounds until the sun began to set. Every personnel were informed of the missing child, but eventually, we had to accept that he wasn't there, anymore.

Telling Alex had been the hardest thing I had to do, but I knew that John wouldn't have been able to do it. He was frantically calling his friends and coworkers, seeing if there was anyone who could help us find Holden.

The police came quickly and they issued a BOLO to all the other officers, but there hadn't been much more they could do. There was no trace of who had taken him or whether he was even kidnapped. Holden had simple disappeared.

From that day on, John and Alex's relationship began to crumble. I would frequently get calls from him, asking for advice or just to lend an ear. He'd bury himself in work and would sometimes crash over at my place when the strain became too much.

Other than provide moral support, I really didn't know how to help him. He was my big brother. He had gotten me out of all sorts of messes before, but now that he needed me, I didn't know how to help him.

"Here." I placed a cup of hot camomile tea in front of him.

"You know I like coffee more. This is going to knock me out," he groaned, leaning his head back against the couch.

I sat down beside him. "That is precisely why you're not getting any coffee and you're going to drink this entire mug. You need rest. You look as if you haven't slept in _days_."

He shot me a look, showing me that I was right on point. "I keep seeing him in my dreams. He'd be calling out for me to help him, but he'd be gone before I could get to him. I can't keep reliving that."

"You still need to sleep, John," I said. "It's the stress that is making you dream about him all the time. If you sleep properly, you'll have a clearer mind to work on your cases. You'll have a clearer mind to find him. Come on, when have I ever steered you wrong?"

He raised an eyebrow at me and I grinned back. Whenever the two of us got into trouble as children, it was usually my fault and he'd always be there trying to keep me from killing myself. I would have him take me to the park and end up breaking my leg falling down a tree. I'd steal his bike and narrowly miss getting hit by a car. No, I _did_ get hit, but walked away with only a few scratches. The bike, however, was a lost cause.

Most of the time, he'd get the brunt of the blame, being the older one, but he'd never truly get angry at me. Time and time again, he'd keep me safe from myself. I really wanted to watch out for him, even if it's just this one time.

"Go to bed, John," I urged him, again.

With a sigh, he drained the cup and followed me up to the guest bedroom. "I've washed all the dirty clothes you left behind last time. Make sure to at least throw them into the laundry basket before you leave. I hate having to pick up your dirty shit on the floor."

He grinned back tiredly at me. "No promises." Just like that, he slammed the door shut in my face.

The nerve!

That was the last time I saw him that year. Alex had called me multiple times, asking if he was over at my place. I lied at first to cover for him because I knew that he was still safe. He had answered my calls whenever I rang him. His excuses were always that he was busy with work. As long as he was alright, I really didn't care what he was doing.

From his tone, I knew that something was wrong. I went down to the police station and bumped into Detective Hahn. "Andy!" I called out to him.

He turned to me with a smile. 'Miss Lowe, what a pleasant surprise. How may I help you?"

"I'm just looking for John. Have you seen him?" I asked, looking around as if I was going to spot him behind one of the desks.

He gave me an apologetic look. "I thought he told you."

"Told me what?"

"He's taken the next three months off and he'll be re-evaluated when he comes back," he quietly said, leaning down to me, knowing that it was probably more information than I was supposed to know from him.

I bit my lips. "Do you know where he's gone?"

"Sorry, can't help you there. He never said anything to me." With a nod of his head, he went back to work.

What was John doing? Why hadn't he told me anything? I should never have been so compliant with his wishes. He had never been the same after Holden went missing.

As soon as I left the station, I dialed his number. On the third ring, he picked up. "Madison?"

"Hey, John. Is there something you're not telling me?" I was walking back to my car, ruffling through my bag to get the keys out.

"What do you mean?" he asked. I could hear glass clinking in the background and a deep, sultry voice.

"Where are you? I was just talking to Andy. Why didn't you tell me that you're taking a three month sabbatical?" I demanded, irritated that he had kept it from me.

He sighed. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Where are you, John?" I asked, again, throwing my bag into the passenger seat. " _Tell me!_ "

There was a moment of silence before he mumbled a reply.

Hotel Cortez.

I had to search up the name on my phone to find the address. It was some old hotel with poor reviews. Why on Earth would he go there of all places?

"I'll see you soon, John." I hung up just as he began to protest.

When I finally arrived at the rundown building, I let out a groan, wondering if I was going to have to scrub myself down after touching anything here. But I had to do this for him. I was either going to successfully convince him to go back with me or I was going to join him in this madness. I didn't want to have to answer the phone or door one day to see a police officer tell me that he had killed himself in some dinky hotel!

When I entered the lobby, I found that it was actually quite beautiful inside. It was old and had a musky scent, but there was a sort of charm to it.

"Can I help you?" a bored voice reached me.

I looked over to the receptionist desk to find an aging woman with grey hair and large, round glasses. Her lips were set to a grim line as she stared back at me.

"Well?"

Walking over to her, I set my bag gently on the corridor. "I'm looking for my brother, John Lowe. He told me that he was here."

"Oh? Did he?" She raised an eyebrow at me. "Any ID? We don't allow just anyone to walk around in here."

I was sure that even with ID, they weren't allowed to tell me if he was around, but I was hoping that this lady would be kind of enough to let it go, so I placed my driver's license on the table for her to see and silently waited for her response.

"Well, _Madison Lowe_ , let me just go call around to see where he is," the receptionist, Iris, slowly moved to the phone, but I stopped her.

"Can you just show me to the bar? He's probably there, right now." Every second here was a waste of my time. This place didn't feel right. It felt as if there were eyes everywhere watching me, but Iris and I were the only ones in the lobby.

"Very well," she sighed before giving me the directions.

I quickly walked through the corridor and immediately spotted the head of dark hair. A glass was in his hand. He quickly threw back the shot. "John."

He turned to me and gestured to the seat beside him.

"I'm not here to drink. I want you to come back with me." I was now standing beside him with my arms crossed. The waft of alcohol made me crinkle my nose.

He didn't reply. Instead, he had the bald bartender refill the glass.

"John! You're going to give yourself alcohol poisoning and your problems still won't go away," I snapped. 'Don't you know that there are people worried about you? You can't just disappear, hoping that everything will miraculously resolve themselves in a few months!"

Slamming the empty glass down, he finally looked at me, again. "What else am I going to do? My entire life has gone to shit. I lost Holden. Alex can't even look at me in the eyes, anymore. I can't even focus on work!"

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Then, come stay with me like you always do. You know that I don't mind. I'd rather that I know you're safe than have to search around for you, wondering if someone is going to find you in some storm drain, some morning."

"I'm not leaving," he adamantly stated. "I need a place to think. I need… I need somewhere that won't remind me of – of _him_." His blue eyes became clouded with tears. "When I'm here, I can finally start forgetting what I've done."

"John… It's not your fault and I'm as much to blame as you, but I'm sure that someone must've taken him. _That_ is who we should place more of our blame on. Not ourselves." But there was no getting to him, so I was going to have to resort to my backup plan. "Fine! If you're going to stay here, then so will I."

With that, I stormed back to my car and retrieved my packed suitcase. The fresh air at the parking lot was great, but I was going to endure the hotel for him.

"Our rooms are all full!" Iris shouted at me as I strutted back in. When I passed by, I dangled the keys I had swiped at her.

"Don't worry. I've got it taken care of." I went up the elevator to the sixth floor and walked right into his room. It was an absolute mess, like usual. There were clothes and paper everywhere. For someone who always looked so prim and proper, he was a closet slob.

I rolled my eyes, slowly picking up after him as I always did. Honestly, he'd drown in his own filth if ever had to live on his own.

Half an hour later, there were angry knocks at the door. "Madison!"

With a smirk, I swung the door open. "Brother Dearest," I greeted him. "Don't you have your keys? Did you manage to lose them? That's very careless of you."

He snatched the key that was dangling from my finger. "Stop doing that!" He froze as soon s he took a look at his, now, organized room. "And stop touching my things!"

I huffed, closing the door and turned to him. "Maybe if you picked up after yourself, I wouldn't have to! Besides, you've never complained before!"

He plopped down on the bed, looking tiredly at me. "There's no getting rid of you, is there?"

Shaking my head, I took a seat beside him. 'You need someone here with you. With nothing to occupy your time, I'm worried that something w-will happen to you. I can't lose you, John."

It had been hard losing our parents. Mother died of a car accident and father's smoking finally caught up to him. He had to go through radiation several times over the course of ten years before he finally gave up. It had been so hard letting them go.

I still stayed in their house, while John managed to afford his own place after he became engaged to Alex. He had been so happy, then. Everything had gone so well for him… Until we lost Holden.

Despite what I kept trying to convince John, there were nights where I still blamed myself - the countless 'what ifs.' It was an endless spiral of what could've been and what could never be.

"It's getting dark," he sighed. "You might as well stay here. I won't have you travelling at night here. It's not safe."

"I wasn't planning on leaving, anyway," I told him before getting up to use the bathroom. "Don't expect me out for at least an hour."

"Go knock yourself out." He fell back on to the bed with his eyes closed. Hopefully, he was going to actually have some decent rest, tonight. The nightmares had never stopped. Whenever he stayed over at my place, I'd hear him cry out at night. No matter how many times I told him that whatever stupid concoction I gave him was going to help, we both knew that they never did. He went along with them anyway because he knew that I was going to nag him until he did as I said.

I sat in the bathtub of nicely warmed water and allowed my muscles to finally relax. What was I going to do? We couldn't stay here forever. Maybe John was going to eventually leave this place and return home, whichever one he wanted to go back to.

"Well, what do we have here? You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" My eyes snapped open as I heard the male voice speak in a strange accent. When I looked around, I saw no one was around me. Was I hearing things?

I quickly got out of the tub and dried off, suddenly feeling eyes on me, again. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. There was no one there. None was watching me, except me.

I left the steamy bathroom to find that John was already beneath the covers, fast asleep. At the moment, he seemed so peaceful, but I knew that this wasn't going to last. The nightmares would come and then, neither of us would have any sleep for the rest of the night.

"Good night, John," I whispered, turning off the light. My only reply was a particularly loud snore that made me smile.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Happy (early) New Year! Happy Holidays!

I'm still trying to figure out where I want this story to go, but while I was writing this first chapter, I was actually quite excited and happy about it. Now, I'm a little nervous whether you guys will like it or not. I hope you will!


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

When I woke up the next morning, he was already gone. As usual, he hadn't bothered to leave a note or anything. He had simply left as if he had never been there in the first place.

I closed my eyes, again. The bed was actually quite nice and soft and the pillow was perfectly fluffed. There was a sort of tranquility that I really like here. Why did I ever think that there was something wrong with this place? At the very most, it was no worse than any other hotel room.

Stretching, I looked around to see that he had left most of his things here. Where had he gone? Obviously, he was going to return.

With a look of the clock, I immediately jumped out of bed. I was going to be late for work!

I quickly brushed my teeth, washed my face, and ran my hand through my messy hair. How did I forget to set an alarm, last night?

Running down the hall, I reached the elevator and impatiently pressed the button. When it opened, there was already another man there. He had perfectly styled, dark hair and eyes and a thin moustache.

"Good day, Madam." He bowed his head at me, but all I could do was stare back at him with wide eyes. That voice. That accent. It was identical to the one I had heard in the bathroom.

"Who are you?" I breathed.

He smiled pleasantly at me. "I am James Patrick March and I am the owner of the hotel you are currently residing in."

Owner? He looked as if he had jumped straight out of the twenties, but I guessed that it would explain the décor. He had such an unusual taste. "Pleased to meet you," I finally mumbled back, stepping into the elevator and promptly turned to the large metal doors.

"Pleasure is all mine," I heard him purr into my ears from behind. I jumped, scooting as far away as I could from him in the tiny chamber. The most unnerving thing hadn't been his close proximity. No, it was the fact that I hadn't felt any warmth or even a breath from him when he had been right up against me. All my sense told me that he was clearly present, but he was missing everything that truly made him real.

I wanted to reach out and touch him to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind, but I didn't want him to think I was some sort of perfect trying to cop a feel.

"I apologise," he graciously stated, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Before I could reply, the elevator door slid open and I hurried away, my brain and heart racing. My bag was bouncing against my body as I tried my hardest to ignore the feeling of his gaze still lingering on me.

Sitting motionlessly in my car, I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down. Something about him made my skin crawl. I couldn't tell whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Outwardly, James March was a very handsome man and his voice was smooth, only faulted by his very strange accent. There was truly nothing superficially wrong with him, but his very presence raised alarms in my head. I didn't understand what exactly triggered my fight or flight instinct, but I wasn't about to find out.

By the time I arrived at work, I was late. It was as if the entire floor was staring at me, until I shut myself in my office and glared moodily at the computer screen that was booting up far too slowly.

"Your tea, Ms. Lowe," Chelsea, my secretary, placed the steaming mug on my desk and immediately left as soon as it touched the table. She always seemed awfully skittish around me. I never found out why, but she was efficient, so I never had a reason to complain.

Not long after I got comfortable in my chair, the phone began to ring nonstop. Problems. There were always countless problems as if no one could think for themselves. Didn't they know that I had my own problems to deal with?

"The computer on the second floor isn't working, should I send – "

"Yes. Yes," I snapped. "Send anyone you wish to fix it! For fuck's sake! You're an IT intern. Work it out yourself! Isn't this why you're here – to encounter real world problems?!"

The poor intern stuttered out an apology before hanging up.

I hadn't meant to be so short with him, but I was already on edge. He had just taken the brunt of my anger, which I knew was wrong. With a groan, I rubbed my face, feeling worse than before.

Half an hour later, John walked in as if he worked here. A cup of coffee was in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" I frowned at the shoes that were now on my desk. "Can you not do that? It's disgusting. You're getting my files dirty."

When he moved his legs, a folder fell on the floor, spilling its content everywhere. "John!"

He quickly shuffled them back together. "Sorry."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "You seem to be in a good mood. What's going on?"

"Alex and I are speaking, again," he said.

"You went back?" I was surprised. It seemed like the last thing he was going to do, last night.

"I just woke up in the car in front of the house." With his eyebrows furrowed, he tried to recall how he got there. "M-Maybe it was fate that I was there."

"Were you driving under the influence?!" How could he just wake up somewhere else? Had he still been drunk? If anyone, he should know not to do that.

"No, I couldn't have. I remember falling asleep at the hotel. You saw me, didn't you?" That was true. I had seen him in bed. I had slept beside him. Unless he drank or had something in the morning, there was no way he was still inebriated from the night before.

"Then how? It's not _God_ if that's what you're thinking," I snorted. "We don't believe in that. There's us and what we make of what's given to us."

He sighed. "I know. I know, but how would you explain what happened to me?"

"I don't know! Lots of people do strange things when they're asleep. They sleepwalk or even drive miles to familiar places. That's probably what happened to you." But even I didn't believe that. John had never had a history of sleepwalking. Perhaps it was the stress. "Let's not talk about that anymore," I sighed, feeling a headache forming.

"Sounds good to me," he replied.

He stayed in the office all day and accompanied me to lunch. It had become a pleasant day, despite how it started. By the time I was done with work, I had to ask the lingering question that had been on my mind all day. "Are you going to return to the hotel?"

"Not tonight," he said. "I really want things to work out between Alex and me. And Scarlett is still growing up. Eventually, she'll have to understand why she doesn't have an older brother anymore."

I nodded. That was probably for the best. The hotel wasn't good for anyone. It was strange. It was dusty. There was probably mold everywhere, slowly killing all of us in our sleep.

Then, why did I find myself standing in front of the old building, again? I wanted to turn away and head home, but my feet carried me into the lobby where Iris boredly greeted me. "Back, again?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, heading straight to the elevator and waited patiently for it to arrive. I had no reason to return here. John was safe and back at home. That had been my only connection to this place.

The metal doors slid opened and there he was, again, looking as dapper as he did before. "Why, now, isn't this a pleasant surprise? We really should stop bumping into each other like this. People will start to think!"

Swallowing hard, I took a quick look at the stairs, but I didn't want to trek up to the sixth floor. There was no other choice. I stepped into the elevator, trying to stand as far away from him as I could.

"The cook will be preparing something special, tonight. I hope that I will see you in the dining room?" He smiled at me, leaning in.

I averted my eyes. "Maybe. If I'm up to it." I really didn't want to be with him in a formal setting where I wouldn't be able to get away.

"Ah… Very good. I shall look forward to your presence if you decide to join me. It would truly be my pleasure." He bowed his head when I stepped out.

I looked at him one more time before the door closed again and I wondered why he always made my skin crawl. He seemed nice enough, but I couldn't ignore the way all the tiny hairs on my body would stand on end whenever he was around. Even now, I could still feel his eyes on me even though he was nowhere in sight.

I sat on the bed; my mind remained trained on the bizarre man. It was as if I couldn't stop thinking about him. Biting my lips, I eventually decided to visit the bar. Alcohol would help me with my dilemma.

The same bartender was there, regarding me with a knowing look on her face. "You seem like a vodka person," she stated, pouring me a glass of clear liquor. I downed it quickly, feeling the smooth liquid slide down my throat. "Do you want to talk about what's bothering you, honey?"

Shaking my head, I finished off the next shot. "It's nothing. How could anything possibly be wrong?"

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of humour," she replied, smirking back at me. "Anything Liz Taylor can help you with?"

I debated telling her, but this was a complete stranger who worked for the very man who was quickly becoming the core of my problems. It had only been two brief visits, but he was already stuck in my head.

"Madison?"

My eyes snapped to hers. "How do you know my name?"

"Darling, _everyone_ knows your name." There was a look on her face that told me she was hiding something.

"Yeah? And why is that?" I asked. I was no one important. The entire time I was here, I barely interacted with anyone.

Her lips quirked upward. "You're an interesting character. Besides, with you and your gorgeous brother, it's impossible not to notice."

Crinkling my nose, I gestured for another refill. The vodka was already warming my entire body and I could feel my sight linger longer on everything.

"Don't drink too much. I don't need you dirtying my counters," she warned.

I hummed as I shot another one back. "Don't worry, I won't." The alcohol wasn't going to really cause a problem until later. I was just going to have to leave before I passed out. It took a while for it to hit, but once it did, it hit _hard_.

"So what brings you back here?" she asked.

Good question. I still needed to find the answer to that. "I don't know," I eventually replied. "I didn't plan on coming back. With John at home, again… I should be, too." But I wasn't. Something made me return here as if I was missing something important. "I'll probably check us both out tomorrow and take his stuff back to him." Yes, that was the most logical course of action.

"Looks like you have everything figured out, then. Should I just leave this here?" She slid the frosted bottle towards me. It had been full when I sat down. How could there only be half left? How much time had passed?

God, I was losing it.

Standing up, I felt the effects of the alcohol strike me like a semi. My world was spinning uncontrollably. The blood was rushing up to my head, causing everything to feel as if it was pressing in on me. Liz's voice was muffled by the bubble… Pressing in on me…

Closing my eyes, I stumbled back right into a pair of arms.

"No worries. I shall escort her." He slid his arm to wrap around my waist.

As we walked, I couldn't help but lean on him for support. Everything seemed as if it was tilting left and right… left and right…

"I've got you," he chuckled into my ear when I stumbled and tripped trying to walk into the elevator.

"It… It's always elevator with… you, isn't it?" I slurred, feeling him press himself against my chest. He was taller than me. The top of my head was just touching the bottom of his chin.

"Indeed! And what a lovely place to meet, do you not agree?" He gently tugged my hair back, tilting me to look him in the eyes. They were so dark… So pretty…

I rose to my tiptoes, leaning forward. Just before I was able to do something I was going to regret, the elevator arrived at my floor and James led me to my room. HE slid his hand into my back pocket, taking the room key. I couldn't stop thinking about how it lingered there just a second too long, yet not quite long enough.

"Here you are, Miss Lowe." He opened the door with grandeur.

I dragged my feet towards the bed and collapsed on top of the covers. I could move no more and allowed the darkness to finally tug me into its grasp.

"Sleep well," was the last thing I heard before I was oblivious to the world around me.

…

James Patrick March looked at the small form in front of him with a smile on his face. If she hadn't drank so much, they would've been doing something a little more exciting, now. As it were, he had no interest in raping an unconscious woman. Where was the fun in that? He liked them screaming and struggling, not motionless like a dead fish.

With one last look at her, he closed the door and disappeared back into his own room, thinking about the hours he had spent waiting for her at the dining table before leaving to find the brunette. When he did, he stayed at the back table, stealing his preferred drink without her noticing him.

His eyes drank in every curve of her body, frequently stopping on the way the denim hugged her perfectly round bottom. Oh, how he'd love to give it a good smack!

Licking his lips, he continued to watch her, until she stood up. He quickly materialised behind her and caught her as she was tilting to the side. Ignoring the glare that Liz was shooting at him, he took the drunken woman to her room. Her warm body felt amazing against his own room temperature form. Elizabeth, his Countess, was even colder than him, so the change was greatly welcomed. He found that a warm body was hard to come by here.

All the guests expired far too quickly. Perhaps he was going to have to have a talk with the others. He really did enjoy prolonging the fun, but there was also an exact time of when the fun plateau and he was going to have to end it before it became boring.

"Fear not. I have a feeling that I shall _never_ tire of you, Madison Lowe."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Still working on the outline of this story and I already have a feeling that it's not going to go as planned, as usual. I hope you guys don't mind if I go on a tangent every once in a while!

Thank you guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

anonymouscsifan: I completely agree with your take on the Countess and you'll see her soon!

Guest: Yay! I hope you liked this chapter!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

I woke up with a pounding headache and feeling as if I hadn't slept a wink. My heavy eyelids took all my effort to stay open. With a sigh, I slithered out of bed and looked at my bloodshot eyes in the bathroom mirror. My rat nest of a hair had also seen better days.

What happened last night? I knew that I had drank a lot, but that was about it. I couldn't even recall how I ended up back in my room. Had Liz helped me up? She had been my open companion that night. It couldn't have been anyone else.

With that thought, I relaxed enough to slowly make myself presentable for another day of work. The regret of staying up late and drowning myself in alcohol was already overwhelming me.

By the time I made it to work, I was late by half an hour and once again, all eyes were on me. I glared at anyone who even began to lift an eyebrow in my direction. With the drills in my head, I was in absolutely no mood to deal with any of them.

I worked quietly in my office the entire day, making sure that everything was in order and none of our clients were dissatisfied with our service. Once it was established that I was in a foul mood, people eventually stopped trying to talk to me.

At the end of the day, my business partner walked in with a wide smile on his face. "Our stocks are rising. More people than ever are using our program. There are even rumours that we will be the primary security of the white house."

"That's good," I mumbled, but rumours were useless. They temporarily bring our stocks up before everything fixes themselves once it all clears up.

He sat down across from me. "What's been going on with you? These past two days, you've been so out of character that I thought another person replaced you. Is it Holden, again?"

I shook my head. "No, it… it's not about him. It's everything. I feel like I'm losing control of my life and it scares me, Kaden."

"Hey, if you ever need a prolonged vacation, just tell me," he said, his hazel eyes piercing my own. "You know I can take care of everything here while you're gone."

"I know," I whispered, but there was also a part of me that was afraid that I was going to lose my only contribution to society. I was afraid of being made obsolete, but I truly contemplated his offer before deciding that work provided a nice distraction from the other thoughts in my head. Even when the last person left the building, I remained, checking, double checking, and triple checking that everything was still secure.

It only took one bug – one loophole – to destroy everything I had worked so hard to build.

When I could do no more, I began to search up the Hotel. It was constructed in the twenties and was relatively successful, until guests began to disappear. It was several more years before an anonymous tipper notified the police. They stormed the Hotel and killed…

I froze, staring at the black and white photo in disbelief. Surely, not…

 _James Patrick March_.

The name was written clearly in front eleven Times New Roman.

This had to be a coincidence. Or perhaps he was a descendent of the same name, but the physical resemblance was absolutely uncanny. He looked identical to my elevator man.

With a sigh, I turned off the computer and packed up for home. I couldn't read any further into it. The more I tried to find answers, the more confused I became. It was probably best if I forgot it all together. There was no reason for me to obsess over it.

The drive home was uneventful. I had the music blasting to push away all the thoughts that refused to stay away. I had to get away from the Hotel. Perhaps Kaden was right. I really needed the vacation.

For the next few weeks, I planned my trip to London. The flight was expensive, but this was the best time of year to go there. It was already snowing and they had the cutest Christmas markets there.

"I'll call you if there is any trouble," Kaden reassured me, while I was lining up to get through security. "Stop worrying and start unwinding. I can't have you snapping at all the interns here."

I flushed. 'Where did you hear that from?"

"Everyone, Madison," he chuckled. "Everyone was talking about it when it happened. The poor guy could do nothing but stutter all day, but if it makes you feel any better, he's still around."

I groaned. That was good. I didn't want him to quit his career because of my lousy attitude. "I was having an off day. I hadn't meant to vent out on him. DO you mind sending him an apology card and free dinner from me?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I got it," he replied. "Just come back safely and leave the devil lady behind. No one likes her."

"Go it." I looked at ht person in front of me, stripping off her coat and shoes. "I have to go, now. See you in the new year."

"Have fun."

…

James was feeling particularly irritated since she checked out. He had been so certain that she was going to come right back, but after a month had passed; he couldn't help demanding answers from Iris.

As usual, the worn out receptionist had no idea why the brunette was missing. He was left to sulk in his room. Even his monthly dinner with his wife didn't bring his mood back up and she was very quick to notice.

"It's the human, isn't it?" she asked, her hazel eyes narrowed at him.

He looked away. "Both her and her brother have… potential. I am certain that John Lowe will finally be able to complete my lifelong project." A smile appeared as he revelled in the future success. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that his Ten Commandments were finally going to be fulfilled.

"Hmm…" she hummed, but didn't elaborate her thoughts.

His eyes ran down her features. She was truly lovely – a great classic beauty! But ever since she turned into a blood thirsty monster, she had changed. Her naivety was gone. Replaced was the Countess who was ruthless and manipulative. A part of him was still turned on by this. He only wished that her thirst for blood involved _him_.

For the past nine decades, he had been ignored like some outdated piece of trash. There was only so much his ego could take. That was probably the main problem. He loved blood, even more so than his distant wife, but he also liked being the one in control. He hated how powerless he was in comparison to her. This was not what he signed up for when they had their wedding ceremony all those years ago.

It was probably his fault for being so hasty. He had been attracted by the girl who was so impressionable. She had worn her heart on her sleeves and he everything that she would give him. He thought he could mould her. And then, the blasted woman planned his downfall! He always knew that she wanted his hotel. Did she think that he was just going to let her take it? Not even the police was going to stop him! This place was his playhouse! He was never going to leave here!

Death had changed _nothing_. It only made it harder for him to reach his goals, but now, he had _nothing_ but time. No one was going to be able to stop him.

After the tense dinner was over, Elizabeth deftly patted her lips and left the room without a word. This time, he let her go without requesting for more of her time. It wasn't her that he wanted to be with.

It could get ever so lonely here, sometimes. He missed her pale face and wide blue eyes.

He spent the next few hours in the elevator, remembering the way her body felt against his. Oh, he was going to enjoy peeling her open like a giant present!

Until then, he was going to have to prepare her brother. It was going to be glorious!

In a far better mood, he went on with his night, milling about the hotel and spying for potential victims. He ended up selecting a rich business man who had hired a prostitute to satiate his carnal fantasies.

It was simple luring the harlot away with his charm. He had killed her first, revelling in the way her warm blood drenched him. Fresh blood and fearful screams. That always made his day better!

Once he was done, he cleaned up and made his way to the balding man who had an enraged look on his face. "Where the Hell is she?! I'm not paying her a thousand dollars an hour just for her to run off!"

James raised a dark eyebrow at the aspect of paying such an astronomical fee for sex! Elizabeth would want him to extort every last penny first, but what use did he have for money, now?

"Why, hello there!" he greeted the man who let out an undignified yelp before turning red in the face.

"Who the Hell are you?!" he roared.

James smiled pleasantly at him. "I am James Patrick March and I am the owner of the Hotel Cortez. I noticed that you seem to be having a problem. Is it anything that I can help you with?"

The man was momentarily pacified. "I am looking for… for my companion. I told her to stay right here in the room, but do you see her anywhere? _No!_ Women these days! Cannot rely on them!"

"Indeed." He nodded his head in an appeasing manner. "That does seem like quite a predicament. Perhaps I can help you find another… _companion_. Free of charge, of course."

Beady eyes narrowed as he contemplated the offer. "Yes. Do that. Thank you."

With a wide grin, James bowed his head. "She will be here, shortly."

He left and easily found Sally moping in her usual spot. His nose crinkled at the scent of her cheap cigarettes. It smelled nothing like his old Cuban cigars. "I have found a stray pig for you. He is in room 52."

She immediately knew what he was talking about. Her red lips curved into a smirk. 'What a pleasant surprise. You rarely share your findings. What has you in such a good mood?"

"Nothing," he sang. "Go. You shouldn't keep your guest waiting!"

He followed her, knowing that she was going to give him a jolly, good show.

Once the high was gone, he found his thoughts wandering back to her. He had to wait for her brother to return to interrogate him. Until then, he was feeling restless. He hated feeling this way. First, he was pining for Elizabeth. Now, he was pining for the tiny brunette who was a contained ball of spitfire.

She as an absolute delight and it was going to be fun breaking her.

It wasn't long before John Lowe returned. He was still as clueless as ever, but James knew that that was probably for the best. That man was still a cop. He hadn't been fine tuned into his perfect killer, yet.

When he spotted the other man sitting at the bar, he couldn't help but admire the similarities between the siblings.

He shot Liz a look. She sighed, filled up John's empty glass, and finally asked the question. "I haven't seen your sister around for a while. With you here, I thought that she'd magically conjure herself into the seat next to you."

John chuckled with a certain fondness that triggered James' interest. "Seems like something she would do, wouldn't it?" There was a tinge of loneliness in his voice that he found himself relating to. "She's gone off to London…"

The hotel's heart sank. London? She had gone somewhere he was never going to be able to follow. Had he been so wrong with his judgment?

"… for a bit of time off." John went on, making him perk up, again. "She said she'd be back after the New Year."

That was still quite a while away. HE was going to have to find a way to distract himself in the meantime.

"And shall I be expecting to see her, again?" Liz Taylor shot James a look. He smiled approvingly at her. "I need to know if I have to stock up on more vodka."

John snorted. "Best that you don't. She always overestimates herself."

"And what brings _you_ back here?" Liz raised a perfectly drawn eyebrow at him. "Missing for a few weeks and suddenly, you're back. Trouble in paradise?"

John contemplated whether he should tell her or not. It was something that he had been keeping in since returning home after spending the night at the hotel with his sister. "Something like that," he mumbled, deciding not to elaborate and Liz respected his choice.

She poured him another glass, which he downed before getting up. He handed her his credit card, paid for his drinks, and headed to his room.

It was just as he remembered. If he breathed in deep, he swore that he could still catch her scent lingering in the room. How long had it been since he was last here?

He ran his hand through the sheets before kicking off his shoes and laying down. His eyes closed almost immediately and he began to dream.

The images passed by quickly. He couldn't make sense of what he saw and he was powerless to do anything. Every sensation, every breath made his body tighten.

"It's almost time," the voice whispered in his head.

He wanted to question the disembodied voice, but found himself unable to speak.

"You shall not fail me."

Struggling did nothing, but eventually, he felt the tug of true sleep wanting him back and he happily submitted, relieved to be away from the confusion.

When he woke up the next morning, he felt strangely rested, but decided not to question this miraculous phenomenon. It seemed like forever since he last felt this way. Sleep had become an elusive dream for him ever since he lost Holden. Work and caffeine were the only things that kept him going.

He reached over to his phone and noticed a missed call from Madison. Hoping that nothing was wrong, he called her back.

"Hello?" her voice crackled to life on the other side. "John? Is that you?"

"Yeah, you called earlier?" he replied.

"Oh! Right!" she exclaimed. "I was just doing some Christmas shopping and was wondering if you wanted me to send you your gifts now or do you want to wait until I got back?"

It was such a trivial question to waste so much money with long distance calls, but he was glad to hear from her. "I can wait. It's going to be odd without you here on Christmas Eve."

She laughed. "I'll give you a ring, so you won't miss me too much!"

He rolled his eyes. "Who said anything about missing you? It's nice having some time to myself without my shadow following me around everywhere."

She laughed and he couldn't help but grin with her.

He really _did_ miss her while she was away.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I hope this story is starting out alright. Haven't gotten a lot of feedback, yet, so I'm a bit worried. Are there things that I need to improve on? Is it the direction of the story? Is it Madi's character? I know I changed her a little here because I thought she was due for a little bit of change. She's still Madi, but just a little older.

Thank you **Mystery Angle, Applejax XD** and guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I hope you liked this chapter! I also FINALLY have the next chapter to my Crimson Peak story done. It is waaay too long. I just need to type up the rest of it and then it'll be up (if it's not up yet by the time I post this).

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you! So glad to see you here!

 **Applejax XD** : I really enjoy writing James, right now! He's no bumbling fool here. Teehee!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourite and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Time had passed incredibly quickly. In a blink of an eye, the trip to London was over, my break from work was over, seasons passed, and suddenly, we were approaching the fifth year since Holden went missing. As usual, John was a complete wreck. He had holed himself in his room at my place and refused to get out.

He only ever appeared for meals. Even then, it was sparse. IN a short amount of time, he had lost a significant amount of weight.

"Come on, this isn't helping anyone!" I had given up on banging on the door and was now sitting with my back against it. "You think I don't blame myself for what happened? But what good does it do us to linger on the ' _what ifs_?' Locking ourselves away from the world doesn't do anything! Come out, John!"

I didn't know when, but the tears had poured down my face as I tried my hardest to push away my own demons. Did he know that every night, I wanted to do the same? But I couldn't. There were others who depended on me. I had to stay strong to make sure that the consequence of what I had done wasn't going to affect anyone else.

I waited an hour longer for any sort of response before taking my master key and going in. "Oh, no… No, John!" I knelt beside his collapsed form. A trail of red travelled from the bathroom to where he laid, motionless.

Why hadn't I done this earlier? "You can't do this to me! I can't have anyone else's blood on my hands!" How could he do this to me?

"Wake up!" Is hook him before taking my trembling fingers to his neck, trying got feel for a pulse. Something thudded against my skin, but I couldn't tell if that was a park of life or just my own racing heart. " _Please_ …"

By the time the ambulance came, the EMTs had to peel me away from him. I didn't want to let go of the older brother who was everything to me. He had been the one to set me straight and back on the right path. I had to do the same for him.

Waiting in the emergency room was torturous. They wouldn't tell me if he was going to be alright. All I knew was that he lost a lot of blood. Otherwise, I was left to fret in the waiting room with silence as my only companion.

The hours ticked by slowly. I kept checking my phone, wondering how much longer it was going to be before they were going to relieve me of the agony.

For the first time in my life, I prayed to God for his safety. I was doing this for _me_. I didn't care if he wanted to end his own life. I didn't care if living on only meant bringing him more pain. I could help him with that. I knew I could. I just needed more time.

"Miss Lowe?"

I immediately jolted to my feet at the sight of the nurse who gave me a gentle smile. 'You may see your brother, now."

My feet took me swiftly into his room. The heart monitor beeped rhythmically, reassuring me that he was still alive. I suppressed a sob and ran my hand through his hair.

"Madison?" he groaned, turning his head towards me. "Where am I?"

"Y-You don't remember?" I whispered, wondering if he was playing with me. I went through Hell and back because of what he had done and he didn't even remember doing it?

He tried to shake his head, but stopped as he winced in pain. "Did I drink too much? I wasn't driving, was I? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I gritted my teeth; a glare appeared on my face. "And no, you weren't – to _any_ of that. You know what you did? You tried to take your own life, leaving me alone in this fuckin' world!"

My shaking hands hastily wiped away the unending supply of tears. 'How could you do that to me? Don't I mean anything to you?"

"Madison…" He looked guiltily back at me. "I don't really remember much of that, but I never meant to hurt you. I'll get help. I promise."

Indeed, John found himself a therapist. He attended the sessions regularly and went through all the exercises. After several months, I could really see a difference in him.

"John, I told you I was going to be late coming home." I rolled my eyes when he called me.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure that you're alright," he said. There was something strange in his voice, but I couldn't quite decipher what it was. "I'll have dinner ready for you when you get home."

Everything seemed to be normal, again, other than the fact that he and his wife were still at odds. Poor Scarlett was the only innocent victim in the situation. She barely saw her father and whenever he was in the house, arguments were bound to break out.

I rented Alex's treatment of John. He didn't deserve all the extra guilt from her. He had done his best following the tragedy. There was simply nothing more he could do.

When I returned home, he was sitting in the living room with the news channel on. That was so typical of him. Even off duty, he was immersing himself with all the crimes of the world.

"Dinner is in the fridge. You just have to reheat it." His eyes never left the television screen as he spoke.

For the next few days, everything seemed fine. It wasn't until he suddenly went missing for twenty-four hours did my fears arisen. I called him again and again. This time, he didn't pick up. He _always_ answered my calls. I even called Alex who had no idea where he was. While she was in mid-rant, I hung up on her. This wasn't the time to tell me all of his flaws.

I went to Andy who shook his head, but promised to gather up a search team if he was still missing by nightfall. With a grateful smile, I went back home to rifle through his things, hoping that I could find a clue of where he could've gone to.

His desk was a mess of papers regarding a new case he was working on. The images were gruesome. A couple was nailed together in a bed. There was no doubt that the female was dead, but the man's eyes were still sparked with horror.

Quickly scanning the profiles, I noted that this was found at the Hotel Cortez. The name was familiar, but I couldn't quite remember where I had heard it before. It was like a word just at the tip of my tongue, nagging and infuriating, but completely out of reach.

Going through a few more things, I came to the conclusion that the Hotel was going to be my best bet. I quickly looked up the address and went on my way.

When I entered the lobby, I noticed that the reception desk was empty. I hit the bell, impatiently. If John wasn't here, then I was just wasting my time.

"Coming! Coming!" the grumble came.

A grey-haired woman came out of the back room and raised an eyebrow at me. "A-are you here for a room? We're – "

"I'm looking for my brother. His name is John Lowe and he might be here investigating a murder." I watched as she sighed.

"Do you have I.D.?"

I took out my driver's license and placed it on the table.

She gave it a quick glance as if it was just formality before informing me of the direction to the bar. I could still feel her eyes on me as I left, racing down the hall and spotting his head of dark hair. "John!"

He turned, startled, and looked at me with tired eyes.

I stomped towards him, snatching the glass that was held against his lips and drained the content before he could. "What the Hell were you thinking? You disappeared without a note, a call… I tired phoning you all day and you never picked up. I even phoned _her_. For fuck's sake, do you know how worried I was?!" Angry tears had sprung out and I was vaguely aware of the bartender filling the glass, again.

I finished that, too, allowing the vodka to fuel my rage. "You can't keep doing this to me! I-I'm so scared that one day, I'll find you dead in some fuckin' storm drain a-and then… w- what am I going to do?"

He pulled me down into his arms and whispered his apologies into my ears. All I could do was cling on to him as if I was a young girl again, hoping that her older brother could ward away all the monsters.

John ended up taking me upstairs to where he was staying. The place was an absolute mess. How could there be so much junk accumulated in five days?

I angrily cleaned up the room, while he protested the entire time. By the time I was done, I could actually see the floor. "Well? Are you going to tell me why you're suddenly here in this old place?"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I had to get away. This case, whatever it is, could be dangerous. I've been getting those anonymous tips regarding a string of murders. I don't want to end up getting Alex and Scarlett involved. I don't want to end up getting _you_ involved. You shouldn't be here. It's not safe. Go back, Madison. Seeing you hurt, or worse, is the last thing I want."

I glared at him. "There's something more. Why this place? Why are you staying here where people have just been brutally murdered?"

"Did you go through my files, again? I told you not to – "

"I wouldn't have had to if you didn't spontaneously disappear into thin air!" I argued. "Now, _tell me_. Why here?"

He looked down. His shoulders dropped and he finally caved in. "I saw him here, Madison. I saw Holden."

At the sound of his name, I froze. "He can't be here, John. There's no way. It's been _five_ years. Did he look any different from before?" I suspected that he must've had too much to drink and hallucinated the blonde boy.

He shook his head.

"Then it can't be Holden!" I told him. "It's been five years. There's no way he'll still look the same. You were probably dreaming or the stress is getting to you."

"I don't know… Maybe I'm just losing my mind, but I feel as if this place can finally give me the answers that I need," he said.

Perhaps he was right. There was something about this place. I didn't know what it was, but it felt as if I was walking through a recurring dream.

In the end, I decided to stay for the night. I hadn't brought any extra clothes, so I shed my coat and sweater before getting comfortable in my tank top. The jeans were a little uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could do about it, now.

At least it was nice and toasty with him beside me. Generally, I was a frozen popsicle in my own bed.

"Don't hog the blankets, this time," he grumbled before switching off the lights.

I smiled beneath the covers, remembering the times when we used to share a bed as a child. I always ended up with the entire thing wrapped around me, while he tried in vain to even claim a small corner for himself. I missed those times when we could be as carefree as we wanted.

"Good night, John."

"Good night."

…

John found it difficult to fall asleep. This in itself wasn't unusual, but the cause was a little more perplexing. He found his thoughts constantly switching over to the person beside him.

His body was reacting in a way that didn't make sense and he couldn't find the reason why. It was something completely unnatural. Even in his teenage years, he rarely lost control of his body to his more carnal desires.

He turned his body, staring at the back of her head. Her hair had fanned out everywhere, tickling his nose, but he left it there. She smelled nice, like raspberry and vanilla.

His eyes closed and he tried again to fall asleep. No, this didn't feel right. Something about this arrangement was very wrong. He shifted again until he was pressed against her. His right arm draped over her waist, while his left was tucked beneath the pillow.

There, that was better.

In a few minutes, he was fast asleep.

 _"John," her voice called out to him._

 _He didn't want to wake up, yet. It was too comfortable here. He wasn't ready to face the world, again._

 _"John, wake up." This time, his eyes snapped open when he felt her lips on his neck, nibbling and sucking a groan out of him. "Are you awake, yet?_

 _He pulled her closer, feeling his entire body awaken at the feel of her soft form lying sensually on top of him. 'I like this wake up call," he chuckled, finally opening his eyes to find her smiling back at him._

 _She hummed, running her fingers through his messy hair. Her won fell like a curtain around them, forming a barrier to cut off the rest of the world. "Let's stay here all day."_

 _It wasn't a request. He had no problem with this. No part of him wanted to leave here._

 _Instead of providing a verbal response, he began to tug away all the fabric that kept her from him. It wasn't long before they were both bare. Their lips moved in perfect harmony s he flipped them both over._

 _She wrapped her legs around him, grinning against his mouth before she broke away with a cry when he thrust into her. Her walls clenched tightly around him, threatening to push him over the edge._

 _Gritting his teeth, he froze, willing himself to last, but she had different plans._

 _She rolled back on top and began to ride him in a pace that made it impossible for him to breathe. His body was in full control, instinctively meeting her every bounce. Her cries filled the room, slowly consuming him until the man was gone, leaving only the beast behind and the beast didn't like to be on the bottom._

 _He easily flipped her over, pounding into her until she was screaming his name; her walls milking him, beckoning him to come with her, but he wasn't done, yet._

 _Again and again, she came for him._

 _"John! John! I-I can't - !" Her eyes were clenched shut, fighting another convulsion that racked through her body._

 _He smirked against the crook of her neck, loving how quickly her heart was racing for him._

 _His eyes flickered to the figure that was smiling finally down at them. The dark orbs glinted into the dim room._

 _He wanted to snarl at him, to tell the other man to back off, but right at that moment, his body finally conceded to the pleasure that he was trying to keep at bay._

 _His member jerked inside her once, twice, and then, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily._

 _"That's it," the other man cooed, hovering over them._

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Wow! You guys are amazing! Thank you for all the reviews! You don't know how happy they made me, especially since I've been sick all week. I hope the rest of the chapters will warrant just a great of a reception!

Also, has anyone noticed that this story seem to disappear every once in a while on the FF: AHS page? It's pretty funny since this story is called Vacant, but I was wondering if it's just happening to me.

And thank you, **masquerade04** , for telling me about mixing James with Edward there. Oops!

Thank you **Mystery Angle, HellToTheNo123, masquerade04, Perpetually Clueless, TheImpossibleGirl321, HerOverYonder, EvilDreams101** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you so much! You were right!

 **HellToTheNo123** : I hope you liked this chapter!

 **masquerade04** : Thanks for pointing that out to me. It's been changed, now!

 **Perpetually Clueless** : Updated! Hope you liked it!

 **anonymouscsifan** : James is so fun to write… Not a lot of him, yet, but it'll get there. I'm also madly typing up the chapter for Crimson Peak. It's currently at 11k and my fingers hurt, but I'm hoping to have it posted either tonight or tomorrow.

 **TheImpossibleGirl321:** Thank you! I hope I won't fail you!

 **Guest** : I was watching a lot of Mr. Robot before watching AHS: Hotel, so it might've influenced me a little!

 **HerOverYonder** : So glad to see you here! I swear I'm trying to find a good ending for Madi! Ahahaha… It'll happen… One day… I'm trying my best here!

 **EvilDreams101** : James is definitely my second favourite Evan Peters character to write, thus far (first being Tate)!

 **Guest** : Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourite and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this. It'd really help motivate me!


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

I woke up feeling more rested than I had for months. It was nice and warm here. The room was deathly quiet, except for the sound of soft breathing. If I wanted to, I could easily fall asleep, again, but I had work.

Kaden was going to give me another lecture if I was late.

Savouring my last seconds in bed, I finally noticed something strange. Beneath my head, there were slow, calming thumps. I looked up to see John with his eyes closed, still asleep.

The lines of his face had disappeared, making him look several years younger. Since Holden disappeared, it was as if he had aged greatly – both physically and mentally. I reached up to touch his cheek before quickly retracting. My heart was racing in my chest. What was I doing?

Hastily, I shot out of bed, not caring that I had awakened him in the process. He groggily opened his eyes, giving me a confused look. "What are you doing?" His voice was rough and husky.

"Sorry, work. Can't talk, now." I ran out the door before he could say anything else.

What the Hell was that?

I cursed when I realised that I hadn't even brushed my teeth or hair, yet. As soon as I spotted a cleaning lady, I asked her if there was a toothbrush I could use.

A scowl appeared on her face and she shook her head. I was slightly taken aback by the expression. Perhaps it was my appearance. I had slept in my work clothes, my hair was a mess, I had no makeup on, and I probably had morning breath.

I went to the bar and saw the bartender give me a sideways glance. "I'd ask for a toothbrush, but a drink would do, too."

She cracked a smile. "You better tame that hair of yours before anyone thinks you're a prostitute here."

"Too late," I mumbled, running my hand through my tangled locks. I saw down with a sigh.

"Here." She placed an unopened toothbrush in front of me and a travel-sized tube of toothpaste. "A girl's gotta look presentable at all times."

"Thank you." I smiled at her. "Sorry, I didn't get to introduce myself yesterday. I'm Madison Lowe, John's sister."

She smiled back. "Liz Taylor. After you brush your teeth, I can help you with your hair."

"I'd love to accept the offer, but I'll be late for work. I'll pay you back for these when I come back for drinks, later." I raced away with the items she had given me and after a quick wash; I was feeling human, again. My hair was thrown into a bun with a stray rubber band and I was finally ready to head to work.

By the time I got there, I was only fifteen minutes late. Kaden shot me a glare, which I promptly ignored and went into my office. I knew that it wouldn't be long before he would come bursting in and violating my privacy.

Half an hour into my work, he sauntered in with a mug of coffee. His lips were curled into a knowing grin. "So, what happened? You come to work in yesterday's work clothes, your hair is little better than a bird's nest, and it looks as if you barely had any sleep at all. Did you finally get laid? Who's the lucky guy?

I glared at him. Kaden and I had a romantic relationship once upon a time. It never really went anywhere, so we both agreed that it was probably best if we remained as friends and soon, business partners. We worked well together, but his personal questions left my constantly glaring at him. "None of that happened. I finally found John in some old, dinky hotel, so I ended up staying there with him. Nothing happened with anyone.

His face fell and became something more serious. "I'm glad you found him. How long was he missing for?"

"Just a day or so… But yeah, it felt as if this time was different. He always goes off on his own every once in a while, but he'd answer my calls no matter what time it was. He didn't, this time. I really thought that he had…" The image of his prone form appeared in my mind. "I can't go through that again, Kaden."

"I know." He reached over to squeeze my hand. "I wish you told me about this earlier. I could've helped, or at least give you some support."

I smiled.

It turned out to be a good day at work. Everything went smoothly. I had a lot of work done and I was ready to pack up for the Hotel.

"Back already?" the receptionist, Iris, asked. "Here. Take the spare. I have a feeling you will need it."

I took the old key that was offered to me. "Thank you." It was uncanny how well Iris was able to read me.

With the key to room 64 dangling on my finger, I walked to the elevator and waited for the door to open. My large bag rested by my feet, preparing me for however many days I was going to have to stay here.

As soon as the door slid open, a familiar face greeted me. I didn't know where I could've seen him before. He was so unusual looking. It was as if he had stopped right out of the twenties black and white films.

"Hello, madam. May I be of any assistance?" His accent was the first thing to jump out at me. The next was the thought that he definitely didn't look like a bellhop.

I swallowed. "I'm fine. Thank you for the offer." I took my bag and stepped into the elevator, ignoring the burning sensation of his stare on the back of my head.

"You smell delicious every time I see you," he groaned into my ear.

I immediately turned around to slap him when his entire body pushed me against the cold wall. My heart felt as if it was going to burst out of my chest. I could feel a very sizeable bulge grinding into me as he buried his face into the crook o my neck. His moustache tickled the sensitive flesh. "S-Stop!" I tried to push him away, but his grip was iron tight.

He groaned, slipping his hand down my pants and ran a long finger along my panties. "So wet for me," he purred. "Just the way I like it."

"Let me go!" I continued to fight him as long as I could, but I already felt my body giving in. It was as if it knew exactly what to expect and was waiting for it. It was as if it had been conditioned to react this way to him.

A sigh left his lips. "Must you always make this so difficult?"

I had no idea what he was talking about nor was I able to find out when the door ' _dinged_ ' open and he was suddenly gone as if he had never been there in the first place. That was impossible. People didn't just vanish into thin air. Had I imagined the whole thing? It would make sense. That had to be it.

"What the Hell is wrong with her?" a blonde woman with a thick accent asked.

"I don't know. Let's wait for the next one. She's probably high," the other woman replied.

The door slid closed and I was still alone, wondering if I should call my therapist. It has never been this bad. Usually, the nightmares were the worst bit after Holden went missing. Visual and audio hallucinations were never a problem.

When I walked into the room, John was startled at my haggard appearance. "What happened to you?"

Instead of answering, I face planted myself into the bed with a groan. My body was still trying to stabilise after whoever that was molested my body and mind. And it wasn't as if I could tell my brother about it. He'd think I was crazy…

Heck, _I_ thought I was crazy already. I shouldn't even be surprised that he thought so, too.

"I just want to go to sleep and imagine that today never happened," I mumbled into the mattress.

John chuckled, trying to nudge me to the side, but I refused to move, staking my claim on the entire bed. "Move, Madison." He nudged me again with his toe before jumping on top of me.

I let out a startled scream and tried to push him off, but he was too heavy. His laughter filled the room, a sound that I missed.

"Good night, Madison." The remnant of his mirth was still in his voice as he reached over to turn off the lamp.

I sighed, the puff of air moving strands of his dark hair. "Good night, John."

Sleep was peaceful. I wasn't haunted by the head of pale blonde hair or his wide blue eyes. There was just a blanket of warmth that enveloped me, keeping all the nightmares away.

When I woke up, it was a slow, cozy process. I drifted in and out of consciousness, trying to cling on to the feeling of absolute contentment.

My eyes eventually opened and I spent another long while enjoying the moment. Was I being creepy? It was just really nice feeling like a child, again.

…

John had another dream that made him feel as if he was the worst scum on the planet. His dream had been dominated by the same naked body that lured him into its sinful traps.

He had never even contemplated another woman after Alex fell into his life. He had been so in love with her. His entire life revolved around her and the family they would eventually have. Everything else was important, too – his job, his sister, Andy, but everyone and everything had their own places.

There were many comments about him and his obsession for control, but he was simply afraid to put his family in jeopardy. His line of work could easily thrust his wife and children into dangerous situations. That was the reason why he decided to check into the Hotel Cortez. He just never expected Madison to stubbornly follow him here. He really shouldn't have underestimated his sister.

When he felt something shift from beneath his body, he opened his eyes to see two blue orbs staring back at him. A smile tugged at his lips. She had become his safety blanket. It was difficult for anyone to imagine because of her tiny stature, but she made him feel as if his life wasn't as bad as it actually was. She was the light at the end of the tunnel.

"What time is it?" she mumbled, looking as if she was about to doze off, again.

As he shifted to retrieve his phone, he felt something that made him freeze. Carefully, he lifted off her and grabbed a dirty shift from the floor to hide the morning problem he was having. "It's noon," he stated to her.

She gave him a startled look. "What?!" A string of curses filled the room as she scrambled around, trying to make herself presentable. It would've been a funny sight if he wasn't paranoid that every glance his way could reveal his embarrassing condition. "Should've remembered to set the alarm!"

Before she left, she went over to him and gave him a stern look. "You better not randomly disappear anymore. I am expecting to see you after work, got it?"

He nodded, mutely, and let out a sigh of relief when the door slammed closed behind her. A cold shower quickly solved his problem, but he was still feeling flustered over what had happened.

He was glad that he had the day off or the Lieutenant would have his hide. He knew that he was already treading on thin ice. Any misstep and he was going to be kicked off the team.

"Hello, John," he heard a sultry voice behind him when he stepped out of the room. Turning around, he saw a blonde woman with thick black eyeliner on and a cigarette between her lips.

He furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Do I know you? How do you know my name?"

She tilted her head. The expression on her face never changed. She took several steps forward, closing the distance between them. "Of course, I know you," she sighed, reaching out to touch him, but he backed away.

"And _how_ do you know me?" There was a glare on his face, now. He didn't appreciate strangers trying to touch him or knowing anything about him when he had no idea who this shady woman was.

"Oh, John… John… John… There is _so_ much that you don't know," she told him. "It doesn't even matter if I tell you or not. You won't remember as soon as you leave the hotel. _She_ won't let you."

In a blink of an eye, she was gone.

He staggered back, looking around; trying to find any proof that she wasn't another one of his hallucinations, but the only thing left behind was the scent of the cheap cigarette. It could very well have been from the old walls and carpeting. They soaked in everything.

"Who are you?" he whispered into the empty hall. And what did she mean what she said he wasn't going to remember it? Who was the woman she was referring to?

The questions continued to haunt him throughout the day. Not even a drink helped, so he decided to have a walk in the park to clear up his head. He couldn't even recall what he had been so uptight about. The fresh air was Godsend. He stayed away until it was about time for Madison's return. She was going to freak out if he wasn't in the room as promised.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring.

Alex.

She wanted him to get Scarlett from school since she was just called in by the hospital. He didn't mind. It felt like forever since he last saw his daughter. Alex had been monopolising her time and warned him not to get her involved in anything else.

It was a surprise that she didn't call her parents to take Scarlett instead, but he wasn't going to complain.

His daughter's face lit up as soon as she saw him and he couldn't keep the wide grin from his own face.

"Come on, let's get back before your aunt freaks out," he chuckled.

Scarlett bobbed her head. She enjoyed spending time with her Auntie Madison. She wasn't as strict as her mother.

When he returned, he found a small invitation card slipped through the crack of his door. There was going to be some sort of fashion show here. He had no interest in it, but if his sister wanted to go, she wasn't going to allow him to slip away.

"I need to use the bathroom!" Scarlett dropped her backpack and ran off before he could say anything else, leaving him to shake his head in amusement.

It almost felt like he had his family, again.

Looking back at the card in his hand, he pondered what to do. Maybe he should dispose of it before she found out. On second thought, this might be what they needed. Fashion shows were supposed to be fun and relaxing. There was also an after party. T hey could mingle with the other guests.

He brought out a suit from his bag and spread it on the bed. He hoped that she had packed something appropriate because they were not going to have enough time to go shopping.

"John, I'm back!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I really hope I'm keeping everyone in character. For some reason, Sally was kind of difficult for me. I didn't hate her and I didn't like her, but I definitely didn't like that she kind of has an intimate relationship with John in the show, so I kind of tried to not think of her too much. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to deal with that part of the show, yet. If you guys have any ideas, I'm completely open to them.

I'm also going to watch Maze Runner tomorrow and I absolutely adore the movies! I'll be reading the books later on just to compare it, even though I've already spoiled the most important part – at least, to me. Would anyone like to read a Maze Runner story?

Thank you **WickedlyMinx, KilalaInara** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **WickedlyMinx** : I'll let you come to your own conclusion on that one. Don't hurt yourself, though! Haha!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I absolutely hate, hate, HATE Alex. Perhaps more so than the Countess…

 **Guest** : HAHA! I'd really love to hear your theories or how you think it's going to go! James March really puts a twist to everything. He's such an interesting character.

 **KilalaInara** : Wes Bentley as John was just… Wow! I had thought nothing about it when he was Mordrake, but when I watched AHS: Hotel, I was completely enamoured. This is the first time I seriously thought of having a different love interest for Madi. He's making it so hard for me to write this story. And I also never noticed him in Ghost Rider! I saw the first one in theatres when it first came out a while ago… Now, I'm thinking of giving it another shot.

 **Guest** : Haha! I hope this chapter cleared up a little of the confusion!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you liked this. It'd really make my day! Even a small handful will do. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

When I returned, I saw my brother staring contemplatively at a white card and snatched it up before he could even protest. "An invitation to a fashion show _here_?" The incredulity of it was undeniable in my voice. This place was so old and not exactly a hotspot for anything. "Will Drake… Is he some famous designer? I've never heard of him before."

John raised an eyebrow at me. "And when have you ever followed anything regarding fashion?"

"Never." I shrugged. "I still know random designers like… like Vera Wang?" There really weren't any others that I knew of. It wasn't my fault that I didn't care much about them. Who really cares what I wore or what other people wore? It was mainly work clothes, work clothes, and sleep wear.

"And this is no Vera Wang. Do you still want to go?" he asked.

I contemplated for a moment before nodding, excitedly. "Maybe I can make fun of them. Modern runway fashion is always so ridiculous. It'll be fun!"

He chuckled. "Then get ready. You'll need something presentable."

I zoomed over to my bag and retrieved a simple black dress that would just touch the floor when I didn't have any shoes on. With heels, it was perfect. "I'll be right back. Don't leave without me!"

As I entered the bathroom, I abruptly stopped when I found Scarlett combing her hair in front of the mirror. It seemed like so long since I last saw her. She had grown up so much.

"Auntie Madison!" she shrieked, jumping into my arms when she saw me.

We spoke and giggled for several minutes before John called out to her.

With a quick change of clothes and touch up to my makeup, I was ready to go and when I came out, I saw that John was looking particularly dapper in his suit.

"Took you long enough." He smirked.

I turned my nose at him. "That was _fifteen minutes_."

"And now, we're going to be fifteen minutes late," he teased before sticking his arm out.

"Where's Scarlett?" I asked, grinning back at him and hooking my arm around his.

He ran his other hand through his hair, a bit of anxiety in his eyes. "I took her out for a small snack, while you were primping yourself and we bumped into Drake's son, Lachlan. She didn't want to watch the show, so they went off together somewhere to go exploring."

I shot him a look. "Is she going to be alright?"

"What could possibly happen in the hotel? His father owns the hotel and she promised not to wander off." I could hear the slight doubt in his voice, but he had always encouraged his children to be independent.

And Will Drake owned the hotel? Then, who was this James March? Liz told me that he was something like an owner – partner to the business like Kaden and me? I needed more answers. I needed to ask James March, next time. This weird mystery was infuriating. I was going to get to the bottom of this!

With the strange stranger still on my mind, we made our way to the dining room where flashing lights could be seen in the hall. Most of the tables had been pushed to the sides to make room for the runway.

As John said, the show had already started, but there were two seats vacant with our names on it. We sat down, trying not to feel slightly embarrassed as we were the only ones late and had to scoot by all the other guests.

"Told you," John mumbled to me when we were finally properly situated.

I shrugged back at him, turning my attention to the models that were walking back and forth. The outfits were definitely out there, but most of them were surprisingly tame compared to some of the photos I've seen on the internet. If any of them walked out the street like that, however, I was still going to give them strange looks. It also didn't stop me from quietly giggling and nudging John the entire time, while he tried his best to keep a straight face.

One particular model walked in. The confidence oozed out of his every movement and he had a very handsome face, but that was as far as my thoughts went before he leaned down and roughly pulled me into a deep kiss. He backed away right before John's fist could make contact with his face.

With a smug smile, the model moved on down the stage, while John turned to me, angrily growling. "I can have him hulled in for sexual assault!"

I swallowed. "It's alright. He's doing it to everyone. Don't mind him. It was just a kiss." There had been no tingles, no connection, just a simple skin to skin contact between strangers.

He huffed, but remained sitting with his arms crossed, even when the model was violently pushed away by a jealous lover. That model was an absolute wreck. I was actually very surprised that Will Drake didn't seem to care that one of his models was sexually harassing everyone.

Smiling pleasantly, I patted his arm before resting my head on his shoulder, watching the rest of the show. Every once in a while, my eyes would travel to the blonde lady in white. Her dark red lips were slightly curved upward as if she was holding some deep, dark secret.

Noticing my stare, she turned her hazel eyes towards me and the smile widened. It brought a cold chills down my spine. My instinct was screaming for me to turn tail and leave, but there was also a part of me that was drawn into her smothering gaze.

I swallowed, turning my eyes away. My heart was slamming in my chest. The same feeling of familiarity hit me. Her and the elevator man. I knew them somewhere… somehow… No, most of the staff in this hotel… There was _something_ about them. They knew more than they were willing to say. What were they hiding?!

"Are you okay?" John whispered into my hair. "My offer still stands."

I nodded, willing my heart to calm. "I'm fine, just tired."

Once the show was over, I got up and noticed that the blonde woman was looking our way, again. The upward quirk of her lips were gone. Even when Will Drake was whispering to her, even when she spoke back to him, her dark gaze was fixated on me as if I was a little lamb ready for slaughter.

John gently tugged my arm, leading me away from the departing crowd. "Hey, I'm going to go get Scarlett. I'll take her back to Alex tonight, so don't wait up for me."

I nodded before making my way back to the room, while John went to get his daughter. It wasn't long after I was comfortably on the bed when my brother burst in with wide, alarmed eyes. "Scarlett is missing!"

I was instantly brought back to the moment at the amusement park. "D-Does Will Drake know where she is?" I asked, getting off the bed and pulling my coat on. "His son? Weren't they together during the fashion show?"

"Don't you think that I've tied all that already?" he snapped at me.

Narrowing my eyes, I glared at him. "No need to be short with me. I'm only trying to help."

"Sorry," he quickly apologised. "But we need to find her!"

"I know. I know you're worried. I am, too. Let's have another look around and find her before Alex goes crazy." His wife would scream and shout without actually helping to solve the problem. No one ever had any time to lose listening to her blame everyone.

I shook those thoughts way, trying to push aside the hate I had for her. She was just a worried mother, but it'd help if she did more instead of making everyone feel bad about themselves.

John's phone rang as soon as we stepped out of the room. We both shared a look, already knowing who it was.

 _Alex_.

"Hello? Alex?" he answered, knowing that he wouldn't be able to avoid her forever.

"I'm going to look around," I mumbled to him. I didn't want to be there when she blew up on him, again.

I walked down the hall, peeking into any open rooms. The same cleaning lady was ripping off heavily stained sheets. Was that blood?!

"Can I help you with something?" she snapped.

I stepped away, but didn't leave until I could ask if she had seen a young girl. She shook her head and shooed me away.

Getting the feeling that she really didn't like me, I moved on, taking the stairs to go down to the next floor. I searched everywhere I could, but didn't find anything and no one seemed to know about Scarlett's disappearance.

Defeated, I slid down the wall in a random hall and felt the tears finally stream down my face. One again, a child had gone missing under my watch. How? How could this have happened, again? I should never have let her out of my sight.

"Is there a reason why there is a crying lady in my halls?"

I hugged myself tighter when I heard the accented voice. This was no time to deal with him.

He sat down beside me and kept talking. "It is very unseemly for a woman to cry in public."

I clenched my hands and turned to him with my fist raised, but he caught my wrist before I could land my mark. His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Leave me alone," I hissed at him, wrenching my arm away from his grasp.

"I hear you are looking for a young girl. What was her name? Ah! Scarlett." He crouched down in front of me.

My ears perked up. "Do you know where she is?!"

"Not currently, but I know someone who may be able to help." He smiled. "But what would I get in return?"

I pursed my lips. "What do you want?"

He placed his hand gently on my face. "One night. Give me one night with all of you."

For Scarlett. I could do this for Scarlett. This would all be for her, nothing more and nothing less. "Okay. As soon as I see her back in her home, you can choose the night."

His smile widened. "Splendid! I shall be seeing you very soon."

He stood up, bowed his head at me before sauntering off with a cheery tune to his whistling.

What had I just agreed to? What was he going to do to me?

I eventually left the dusty hall and went back up to the room to find John in a worried mess. His phone was still gripped tightly in his hands as he raised his head to look at me.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find her, but I think I found someone who could help us," I told him, hoping that the news would be more successful in easing him than it did for me.

"Who?" he asked.

"James March." The name slipped out as smooth as vodka, but I didn't know how that could be possible. He had never introduced himself to me, right? Perhaps I had heard his name from somewhere. Iris? Liz?

John frowned and questioned who this mysterious person was, but there was nothing I could tell him. He was a stranger who claimed the halls as his own, so I assumed that he was the owner or some sort of caretaker.

My brother didn't find the lead very promising and I didn't blame him. He told me that he was going to have to return home to talk to Alex face to face because it was 'the right thing to do.' He offered to take me with him, but interacting with his estranged wife was the last thing I wanted to do. "Go ahead without me, but keep me updated."

He nodded. "Same to you. Tell me if you hear anything from this Mr. March."

I gave him my promise and watched as he left with only his phone and keys in hand. He was going to come back here, later. Somehow it was comforting to know that he was going to return. This place was beginning to grow on me despite only spending a few strange days here, but it wasn't going to be the same without him.

With a sigh, I went down to the dining room where the staff was still clearing up the mess from the show. There were white feathers everywhere, even clinging to the dusty ceiling.

"Want a drink while you wait?" Liz Taylor asked, shaking the bottle at me.

I shrugged and sat down. A drink would probably do me some good. "Thanks," I sighed, throwing back the smooth liquid, feeling it immediately warm up my entire body.

"Have you heard anything about little Scarlett?" she asked, leaning against the table, giving me a worried look.

Gazing down at the glass in my hand, I shook my head. "I can't lose her, Liz. Not after what happened to Holden. I'm really hoping that James can help me."

Her perfectly drawn eyebrow lifted. "James…"

"Yeah. Who is he, anyway? Feels like he just walks around telling everyone that he owns the halls." And molesting me in the elevators! "Is he the owner or something?"

"Or something…" Liz mumbled back, casting a look behind my shoulder.

When I turned to look, there was no one there. "Get my mind off this screwed up life of mine, Liz."

She gave me a sympathising look before starting a story of how she ended up here. I always knew that she was a cross dresser of sorts or perhaps a transsexual who hadn't gone through the transition, but I never knew that this Countess was the one who helped her along. She stayed because this was where she felt safe being herself, but she was hiding some of the finer details. That seemed to be something they all had in common. It felt as if they wanted to tell me something, but held it back as if they weren't allowed.

I wanted to shake her, and scream for her to just spit it out.

As it were, I quietly drowned myself in alcohol until I lost my appetite to eat.

"I think that's enough for you, my lady," he whispered into my ear, taking the half empty glass from me. I tried to push him away, but it was useless. I couldn't even figure out which of the two were actually him.

"Leave me… alone…" I slurred, reaching futilely for the glass that had been pushed away from me. My face lay sideways on my outstretched arm.

I watched as his lips quirked as if seeing me in this state was amusing to him. What a sadist…

"Come, let me help you back to your room," he offered, wrapping an arm around my waist. With a gentle tug, I was off the stool and pressed against him.

"StoOop!" I pushed at his face. "Y-You'll… do baAaad things to m-me, Mr. MaaArch!"

"I will," he purred out the promise. "But not tonight. Once your little alien is home, you shall enjoy a marvellous night in my own private suite."

"Little a-alien!" I giggled. The thought of little green midgets danced around my head. "Don't thinks he'll like being c-caalled thAaat!"

"I don't care what she likes," he breathed along my skin, his hand running up and down my arm. "You're the only one who matters."

He continued to speak, but I was already distracted by the faint scent of his cologne. I breathed in deep. He smelled good. I wanted a piece of him to keep with me, while I slept.

James let out a low groan. I tugged him in with me as we both entered the room. I stumbled on my own feet, taking him down with me. There was a startled look o his face. A frown began to appear, but I didn't like that. I ran my finger up along the wrinkled spot between his eyebrows.

He leaned down, gently pressing his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around him, bringing him closer, until every part of his body was pressed against mine.

Suddenly, he broke away, straightening his back with a gulp. "Good night, my lady. Until next time."

The lights flashed. When it came back on, he was already gone.

I pouted. He left again as if he was a ghost, disappearing into thin air. My eye stayed open for only a minute longer before they fluttered closed and I could see that smug grin in my dreams. His teasing words wisped into my ears. His hands caressed and tormented.

I wanted to run. I wanted to hide, but he was everywhere and there was nowhere for me to escape.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! I'm a day late. I had an early birthday get together and never had a chance to type this up. Can't believe another year has passed already…

Anyway! I hope you guys liked this chapter!

Thank you **WickedlyMinx, KilalaInara, Applejax XD, TheImpossibleGirl321** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **WickedlyMinx** : Uh oh… Things will be a little clearer, soon! I'll try to get some of the things explained.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Teehee… You'll find out about that encounter with James, eventually! I'm really having fun with writing him, right now.

 **KilalaInara** : I'll be watching that soon for him!

 **Applejax XD** : Don't think John had much fun at that show… Oops!

 **Guest** : It's gonna be an interesting and rough experience for them!

 **Guest:** Haha! That's good! I hope this chapter didn't make you confused, though. I know this has been kind of strange, so far.

 **TheImpossibleGirl321** : I'll see what I can do about the chapter lengths! You'll definitely get your moments with James and Madi! Teehee…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this!


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

I was jolted awake when my phone blared loudly. I tried to reach it, but found that all movement made my head and body hurt. Was I on the floor? The musk from the old carpet was disgusting. Not to mention anything else that was soaked into it over the years. What was I doing on here?

As graceful as an elephant, I managed to get to my feet and head to the bathroom for a shower. I felt absolutely horrid. If only I could forget any of that even happened.

Once in the stall, his dark eyes continued to haunt me outside my dreams. I could still feel his hands moving over all the sensitive places that made me melt in his arms.

After washing away the shampoo from my eyes, I opened them to look for my face towel when a silhouette made me gasp. Its form was human – taller than me. From the contours of its body, it was evidently male and very, very naked. When I slide aside the curtain, there was no one there.

I gritted my teeth, moodily finishing up my shower. Still drying my hair and wrapped in a large, white towel, I went over to my phone when I heard the familiar ringtone. "John?"

"Madison!" I could hear his breathlessness as he spoke. "Scarlett – she's back! She managed to take a bus on her own, but… she said she saw Holden at the Hotel. Alex is calling a doctor. I'm going to stay here a little longer. Thank your intel for me."

I swallowed. "Yeah, I will. Take care, john. Make sure Scarlett is alright and I'll check around the hotel, see if James knows anything about him."

"James…?" he mumbled. "When did he become _James_?"

"If he helped bring back Scarlett, he can be anything he wants," I jokingly remarked, but there was a sort of dread at the pit of my stomach.

He chuckled. "Good enough for me. Thanks, Madison!"

Despite the fact that I was glad that my little niece was back home safe, it meant that I was going to have to fulfill my promise to James March. What was he going to do to me in the one night? When was this night going to occur? I didn't feel ready for it, at all.

James Patrick March was an enigma that I didn't understand and wasn't sure I was every going to understand. I didn't even know where to start with him. I just knew that I was in big trouble for whatever he had planned for me.

Deciding to distract myself, I dropped by at work. Kaden immediately noticed and raised his eyebrow at me. "Any reasons why you're here, today, or do you miss me that much?"

I crossed my arms. "I was just bored. The Hotel is…" Getting to me and I didn't know if this was good or bad, yet. "… a little stressful, sometimes."

"Do explain," he stated, sitting back as if he was waiting for a good story.

I sighed and retold everything as well as I could without giving him any information regarding the deal I had made with the strange man.

He suddenly snorted and I stopped to glare at him.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I wasn't laughing at you; I just can't believe you always end up in situations like these." He stretched his arms upward. "Have you ever tried looking him up – missing people's databases?"

I frowned. "Of course, I have! I've also hacked into as many plausible sites as I could. I've scanned through the fuckin' Pentagon for him! _Nothing_. I have seen no traces of him anywhere. I tried name matching, face matching, _profile_ _matching… Everything_." There were not races of Holden.

"Shit… It won't trace back to us, will it?" He stared at me with wide eyes.

"No. I made sure to have the VPN bounce me around, but it's not as if I was detected. I didn't mess with anything," I told him. I had spent the first month looking through media, social media, and even the dark web, hoping that I wasn't going to find him in an auction somewhere. Luckily, I didn't, but that really didn't mean anything if I still didn't know where he was.

Kaden didn't know how else to help me, but he allowed me to sit in his office, while he worked. It was nice just being in his company. He had a calming aura to him that always seemed to soothe me. If only the two of us were romantically compatible…

I suddenly jumped when my phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" John barked.

I rubbed my eyes before glancing at the clock on the wall. My eyes widened. "Sorry! I didn't know it was this late already! Weren't you going to stay at home with Scarlett and Al –" I began to gather my things and shot Kaden an apologetic smile.

A puff of air hit the microphone. "Alex called me from work. She wanted to meet for a dinner out and when I got there… She gave me the divorce papers. It's over between us. I… I don't know what to do…"

When his voice cracked, I started the engine and quickly pulled out of the parking lot. "Hey, wait for me, alright? I'll be there in a few minutes." It was hard hearing him like this. I was immediately brought back to the most horrible day in my life and I wasn't about to allow it to happen, again.

He didn't say anything, so I sped down the road, running every red light.

I couldn't believe that she had done this to him. He loved her and his children so much. He was always trying so hard to make things right. Why did she have to tear the family apart further?

My hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel. "John, you still there?"

"Yeah, you should focus on driving. I'll see you."

"Wait!" But it was too late. He had already hung up on me.

Cursing under my breath, I threw my phone on to the seat beside me, and stepped down on the gas pedal.

By the time I arrived, I was a mess. I had tried calling John at the parking lot, but he wasn't answering. He knew how much I hated that, so something must've happened.

Out of breath, I shakily thrust the keys into the door and opened it to see an unexpected sight. "John…" His name was but a breath of air, but he somehow managed to hear me. Our wide eyes met before I quickly slammed the door closed, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. What the Hell?

…

John groaned, feeling his wife's warm body pressed against him. It had been so long since they had any sexual contact. His body was on the verge of bursting. It didn't help that his dreams had been continuously plagued by the mysterious woman who always left him hot and wanting, but never satisfied.

"John…" Alex moaned, sliding her hands into his hair. The husky voice reawakened the fire he had for her. He was never going to stop loving her, but her cold demeanor had left him bitter.

He kissed her shoulder, trying not to ruin his own mood when the door suddenly opened. He had completely forgotten that he had called his sister back. Their eyes met for only a split second before she was gone.

Alex had stilled, breathing heavily. "W-What are we doing? Just earlier we were going through divorce papers!"

"We don't have to split up," he told her, wondering what would happen to Scarlett if she was left with only one parent. Both of them were always busy, but with both of them around, they could try to work around their schedules.

"No, John. I can't do this anymore." Alex quickly pushed him away and picked up her clothes before scurrying off, leaving him feeling empty, again. That was what she always did. She built him up only to tear him back down.

He covered his eyes with his arm. He should've known that this was going to happen. Why did he even bother trying? "Fuck!" he angrily swore at the old, dusty ceiling.

Looking at his phone, he noticed the missed calls from his sister ten minutes before she came up here. It was annoying how overbearing she could be, but he also found himself craving that attention when she wasn't a round.

He sighed, turning over and trying to forget that this night ever happened.

His finger scrolled sluggishly through his phone before he made up his mind and rang his sister. That must've been even more awkward for her than it was for him.

He groaned. Was she even going to stay here anymore? He and Alex were just about to have sex here. Maybe if he had the sheets changed…

His call went to voicemail and he left a brief message and apology before using the hotel phone to dial for room service.

…

I didn't know why my heart was racing like this. It wasn't as if I thought he was celibate. He had… had two children before and they were married for years. Was it because he had told me they were going to get a divorce just a short while prior? Or perhaps it was my own growing hatred for Alex. No, it had to be because I _just saw my brother about to have sex._ No sister should have to go through with that. There could be no other reason for why I was feeling the way I did.

"Have you gotten lost?"

I didn't turn to him. He always seemed to catch me at a bad time when I was in no mood to add to the onslaught of emotions that were brewing within me. It was going to take only one more drop to make it all boil over and I really needed to keep it together. This wasn't the time to fall apart. Whether John ended up staying or leaving Alex, I had to be there for him. I had to support his decisions.

"Perhaps I can help you."

I walked quickly down the opposite direction, but a hand seized my wrist, pulling me against a nicely toned chest. "Do you make a habit of crying in my halls? If you keep doing this, everyone will think that this is the saddest place in the world! And do you know what that means? You'll ruin my reputation. And that simply won't do!"

"Stop it, Mr. March!" I hissed, hoping that for once in his life, he was going to leave me alone, but I had no such luck.

He brushed my hair back before grinning widely at me. "Please, say that, again," he purred, teasingly. "It gets me so exciting…"

I wrenched my hand away from him before pushing him away. "What is wrong with you?!" Was he a certified maniac? "Stay away from me!" Couldn't he see that I was in distress and didn't want to deal with his antics?

Unfortunately, this time, I never had a chance to even turn around when I was back against him. His face was a mere inch from my own. Gone was the mischievous sparkle. His eyes were dark and sinister, promising retribution for my attitude towards him. "Come with me, my lady. You promised me one night if I found that little spawn. And a promise… is a promise!"

The world suddenly went back for a brief moment. To me, it had been no longer than a blink of an eye, but it must've been longer because I was suddenly in a beautiful room. It was dark, but there were countless candles flickering. The scent of roses was muted, just enough to draw me into a more relaxed state.

It made me wonder why I was so wound up. Sure, I was here with a stranger who may or may not be some sort of psychopath, but he was a very handsome stranger who may or may not be a psychopath. If he killed me tonight, I may or may not die happy. There was also the possibility that this was all a dream and it'd explain everything that happened today. From the moment I woke up, it was as if I had been thrust into a strange alternate universe.

"I presume that this pleases you." He chuckled at my dreamy expression.

I sighed and nodded against his chest. When had he scooped me into his arms? He was very comfortable.

I tilted my head to look at him, admiring the way he looked in the candlelight. It almost seemed as if there was a literal fire raging in his eyes. "What are you going to do to me?" I whispered, unable to speak any louder when all the possibilities were flitting through my head.

"Now, that is a good question, isn't it?" He didn't set me down even when he seated himself on to a chair in front of the table. There were several silver dishes, which were revealed to be a selection of delectable sustenance. My mouth instantly began to water.

"Allow me to feed you." He grinned, plucking a round grape from the centre plate and nudged my lips apart. I moaned at the sweet juicy goodness.

He made me feel like a queen.

Next, he picked up the fork and speared a baby carrot. His eyes narrowed as the trip slipped in before I bit down. My eyes were fixated on his, watching them narrow and darken.

I licked my lips.

He narrowed his eyes further at me before crashing his lips on to mine. They were soft, but he was demanding – licking and biting until I let out a cry when the taste of blood leaked into my mouth.

"James…" I panted, pushing him away. "Stop, I…"

"No!" he snarled, pushing me back until I was against the wall. "Too long. You always make me wait _too damn long_!" He buried his face into the crook of my neck, nibbling on the sensitive flesh.

I clenched my eyes shut, biting down on my lips to suppress the moan that was begging to come out. Why was he making me feel this way? I knew it was wrong. He was a completely strange. We've barely exchanged any words and we haven't even made it through dinner, yet. This wasn't me. I wasn't that kind of woman.

"Oh, Madi. Madi. Madi…" he groaned, working down the line of buttons, slowly peeling away my white blouse.

"Then, tell me," I said, starting to feel fed up with everyone acting as if they were keeping secrets from me. "Tell me what is going on because I don't understand anything, right now. And don't try to lie to me! I'm sick and tired of that!"

He rested his forehead on mine and breathed in deep. "It doesn't matter. Whether I tell you or not, you won't remember."

"Just tell me, James. If you do, I'll give you what you want." I needed this curiosity satisfied.

His chuckle vibrated through my body. "If only you knew how many times we've made this deal, my sweet. Is it so wrong for me to hold on to the hope that I can give you a night that you will remember? Let me pretend."

"Stop speaking in riddles!" I snapped.

He gritted his teeth. "No! Tonight is mine. I will have what you promised me." He ground his pelvis against me, rubbing the very pronounced bulge, until a soft moan finally escaped my lips. "Not here."

He carried me to the bedroom here he dropped me on to the large bed and fell on top of me. From the nightstand, he slid out a silk scarf and wrapped it around my head.

"What are you doing?" My heart sped up when he took away my vision. I moved to take it away, but he quickly tired me to the bedposts. "Stop it!" I shouted, kicking my legs at him, but it was no use. I was completely helpless and spread out beneath him.

"You are a splendid sight to behold, my dear. And I shall ravish you thoroughly." There was a rustle of fabrics before he moved to my pants and easily slid them away.

I was breathing heavily, waiting in horror when I realised the gravity of the situation. This was James March. He was the psychopath who was going to rape me and I wasn't sure if it was even going to be considered rape. I made him a promise. Not only that, my body seemed to be responding to his every touch. It was aching and squirming, waiting for what was to come.

It wasn't long before I didn't want him to stop. His need became my need. His lust became my lust.

He caressed my thighs, resting his hand just below my moist core. I could feel his lips trail down from my navel. "This will be a night you shall never forget."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

The scene with John and Alex momentarily getting back together really annoyed me in the show, but I couldn't help including it in here. I really try hard not to heavily bash on anyone. Sometimes, they just do it all on their own. I hope no one was too particularly out of character!

Also, I've been completely obsessed with the Olympics! Anyone else watching it? Who are you rooting for? You all probably already know who I want to win!

Thank you **TheImpossibleGirl321, Mystery Angle, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : I hope you were ready for this!

 **TheImpossibleGirl321** : The encounter with the Countess is pretty brief this time, but I can assure you they'll have a proper confrontation, eventually! Madi and John's relationship is pretty complicated. I think they're both just hanging on there, trying to support each other, but they definitely have demons that haunt them. And their night together will have to wait until next time. Oops!

 **anonymouscsifan** : The Countess is never up to any good. And thank you! I just had a few friends over to hang out on my birthday. It was pretty fun and relaxing.

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you so much!

 **Kai-baekyun98** : Here's the update. Hope you like it!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this!


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

He chuckled, enjoying the moment of being in absolute control. He was going to make sure that Elizabeth wasn't going to take this away from them. Too many times, he had to watch her look at him as if he was nothing but a stranger on the streets. Too many times, he had to suffer through re-introducing himself and hoping that she wasn't going to reject his affection. He had gotten very creative, albeit aggressive, over the years.

"J-James…" came the breathy sigh when he brushed his finger up to her sensitive bud, gently rubbing it until she was a panting mess. She had no idea, but he knew every one other little secrets. He knew exactly what would make her melt under his touch.

He poked his tongue inside her, holding her lips closed with his hand when she let out a loud cry. She was delicious. Since the first time he had her, he had been craving her like an addict. Several times, he'd catch the white demon standing at the corner of his eyes, waiting. It wasn't as if he wasn't willing to share, but one moment with the demon and it was going to kill her. He wasn't going to allow that to happen.

Sliding back up her body, he moved the blind fold from her eyes to her mouth, gagging her. Large blue eyes stared at him with frightful excitement. She knew that she wanted this, but she was afraid. She didn't understand why all of this would feel so familiar, but he did and he enjoyed her curious confusion.

"Mmph!" She glared at him, hating how he had now taken away her speech.

He kissed her nose, relishing in the way it crinkled. "I want you to watch as I enter you and fill you up inside."

Her toes curled and her eyes fluttered when he began to enter her. He groaned, feeling the heat of her walls gripping him tightly.

He was gentle at first, watching the way she moaned and sighed, but his control quickly disappeared. It had been too long, this time. Every second was sweet torture. It took everything he had to keep from ending too early.

Soon, he was slamming in and out of her, burying as deep as he could. "Madi, my dear, you are mine. No one is ever going to take you away from me."

Her legs wrapped around his waist, urging him to go faster, deeper, and harder. He gave them all to her. Her back was arched, pressing them impossibly close together.

Their cries became one, but he wasn't done, yet. He pulled out right before they could find release and flipped her over.

The scarf was discarded, leaving her free to scream his name and what a delight that was.

"That's it… I will have this hotel ringing with the sound of your love for me."

"T-Tough chance for th-that…" she moaned, rubbing her cute bottom against him. "Just stop talking. This teasing is driving me m-mad!"

He grinned against her bare shoulder, kissing the soft skin. "You are in no position to make demands, but I can assure you that when we're done, everyone will know that you are mine." As if they didn't know already. Madi and her brother were one of the only ones left in the dark, but they did have a couple of new guests. He aimed to change that.

She tried to get away, to take control of the situation, but he gave none. His cock slammed back in, pounding quickly into her. Roughly, he pulled her hair, twisted her neck into an awkward angle, and smashed his lips on to hers, swallowing her heated moans, until he was close, again. He let her go, shuddering when his name sang into the air.

Her body fell limply on to the bed when he let go of her hair. He dropped down beside her, chuckling at the flushed face that looked as if she had been true and properly fucked.

He smirked, watching her eyes narrow and glare at him. What an absolute delight! It had been so long since he had last found someone who could entertain him so. The last time must've been… He really didn't want to think about her when he was with his lovely brunette.

Lately, his love for her had decayed much like what had become of his physical body. He still respected his position as her husband, but what he thought they once had was starting to feel like a long forgotten dream.

This moment, however, was very real. He just needed a way to stop Elizabeth from taking it from him, again.

"Rest, now, my dear," he purred. "For tomorrow will be another glorious day."

She had already fallen asleep and was silently snoring against his chest. Her warm breath was a reminder of how they were still living in two different worlds, but that was subject to change.

He ran his eyes down her body. A smile spread across his lips when he took note of all the marks he had left on her. They would soon fade, but he was eager to put them back on there.

His eyes flickered to the small device that lit up and began to make noise – her cellular device. He snatched it from the other side of her head and saw the image of her brother. He switched the sound off as he saw many others do in the confines of their rooms. The music stopped immediately, but the shaking remained. He wasn't sure how to get rid of that, but when he looked down at her, she hadn't stirred, at all. That was good enough for him.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention, but he already knew who had just come strolling in. There was only one person who did that. No one else would dare to bother him without at least knocking. "She's still here?" She gave the brunette a distasteful glance. "You know the rules, James."

He glanced at her. "Of course, darling. I've broken no rules. She knows nothing of the past five years. You can leave her alone." He kept his gaze on her, until she turned away with a scoff and left without another word.

A puff of air escaped his lips. He was glad that she had left without much of an argument this time. It was a long running debate between the two of them. He was never going to admit it to anyone, but he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. He hated this feeling of helplessness, especially when he was still trying to savour the high of being with her. Having Madi remember him was a blessing. He was glad that Elizabeth was allowing him this one thing.

…

I was abruptly woken up by metal banging against the walls. My eyes snapped open to see the redhead cleaner pushing her trolley into the room as if she owned it. Her face was stuck in a scowl, seemingly already knowing that I was in here. Her hatred for me was a mystery. I had seen her interact with numerous other people and she always seemed so amiable and polite. With me, it was as if she was a mere second away from committing murder. Not exactly what I wanted when I was butt naked beneath the covers. Where had James gone?

As she dusted the room, completely disregarding me, I discreetly watched as she looked at all of James items with a certain fondness that went beyond employee and employer. Things were slowly making sense. T he redhead was infatuated with her boss who didn't seem too interested in her intimately. Or perhaps they had been lovers at one point? Either way, I was beginning to feel bad for her – to be in this unrequited relationship.

"Hmph!" She suddenly huffed, dusting the lamps, making sure that the tiny, fluffy particles were flying everywhere around me.

Crinkling my nose, I dove under the covers and remained there until she was gone.

Maybe I didn't feel _that_ bad for her.

Once I heard the door slam closed, I got out of bed and headed to the washroom, frowning at all the dark bruises that were scattered throughout my body. It didn't hurt last night, but seeing them, now, the soreness was finally settling in. Every ache was emphasised by the mere sight of my battle scars.

The worst were the small, finger shaped ones at my hips. It almost looked as if it was burnt on there. I gently brushed over it. The sensation wasn't quite what I expected. It hurt like a mild bruise, but it was as if my body was already used to it. How strange…

As I continued to examine myself, I was brought back to last night when he ravished me until I passed out. I wasn't one for casual flings or on-night stands because I tended to get attached to everything. This time was no different and I could already feel the dread stirring at the pit of my stomach.

Shaking him away, I began to get dressed and found that I had missed half a dozen calls from my brother.

Shit!

He was going to kill me.

"John?" I meekly greeted him when he picked up.

His growl signified his ire. "Where the _fuck_ have you been, Madison?! I've been calling all night!"

I felt like such a hypocrite after going off on him about disappearing. "Sorry, John. I… I fell asleep after I got another room at the hotel. I must've accidentally switched off the sound. Where are you? I'll meet you at the r – "

"I'm at work, right now," he cut me off. "I'll see you later when I get back." And then, he hung up.

I bit my lips. He was rarely ever angry at me. I knew that I should've picked up, but I hadn't heard it go off at all. I was completely occupied last night. It wasn't as if I could tell him what I had done. Maybe I could distract him with something else.

Holden? John had mentioned that Scarlett had seen her brother here. Would James know anything about it? He helped Scarlett return home. If Holden was really here, surely, he could help me out on that, as well.

First, I'd have to find him. I didn't know much about this mystery owner still. Where did he go when he wasn't harassing me? Did he go through very hall, looking for damsels in distress?

 _And then bringing them to him room…_

I quickly banished the thought. I didn't want to think about that, yet. There were other things to take care of first.

After wandering aimlessly for an hour, I decided to go down to see if Iris would know where he was. The sight of her, however, made me freeze. "A-are you alright?" She looked absolutely distraught.

She let out a long sigh. "What do you need?"

"You don't look too good," I commented.

Her expression didn't change. She wasn't going to answer my initial question. It almost looked as if her spirit was a second away from departing from her body.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry. I'm looking for James. Do you happen to know where he is or where he usually hangs out?"

"No."

And that was the only reply I got from her.

Next, I went to Liz who greeted me with a vodka shot. I wasn't about to decline that. "Thanks. I have a question. Do you know where I can find James?"

She gave me a small shrug. "He could be anywhere. He tends to… disappear every once in a while. It's best if you wait for him to find you."

I crossed my arms. And how long was that going to take? I wasn't going to waste my time waiting for him to grace me with his presence when –

My phone began to ring. When I saw Kaden's name, I froze.

Work! I had work! I had also missed half of the day already! He was going to kill me. _Everyone_ was going to kill me!

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Work was horrible. Kaden practically had me chained to my chair the entire day. Time passed impossibly slowly. I had really hoped that I could find something about Holden before John came back. That was impossible, now. I should've just called in sick.

I slammed my forehead on to the desk and remained there as Kaden walked in. He let out a snort. "Alright, get up. You're done."

When I refused to move, he sighed. His tone became more serious. "What is the matter with you? You've been off lately. You're really not being yourself. I thought maybe if I waited it out, it'll leave, but what the Hell? Start talking, woman."

What was I even going to say to him? If I told him about my strange encounters at the hotel, he was going to think that I was crazy. I still wasn't sure if that wasn't actually the case. "It's nothing. Just the same issues I've been dealing with for the past five years." That wasn't a lie. He didn't need to know the details.

Of course, he knew that there was more than that, but there wasn't anything he could do to get anything else out of me. TO be honest, even I wasn't too sure what was happening. It was strange. It was new. It was exhilarating. I didn't want to say anything about this experience, yet, until I knew exactly what it was.

"Madison…"

"I'm fine, Kaden. Isn't that enough?"

He sighed, again, knowing that I wasn't telling him everything. He always knew me too well, but that also meant that he wasn't going to pry when I wasn't ready. "Yeah… But if you're in trouble, you can tell me. We'll work it out together."

I smiled softly at him. 'I know. I'm safe. It's just been an unusual few days. I'll be back to normal, soon." How long was this fling with James even going to last? Because what we had couldn't possibly lead anywhere. This hot, passionate connection as bound to sizzle out and disappear in a few days.

"Good. Now, go home. You look like shit."

My face fell and I shot him a glare.

Home suddenly became the old hotel where I knew that John was waiting. I could feel the anxiety return as I stepped into the lobby and was about to take the stairs to prolong the inevitable when the elevator door opened, slowly revealing the man who had plagued my thoughts the entire day.

"My lady." He bowed his head at me, extending his hand.

I swallowed hard, feeling the compulsion pull me towards him. As soon as I entered, the door closed and I was pressed against the opposite wall with his hand down my pants. The swiftness of his actions left me breathless.

"J-James…" I gasped, grinding my body against his. The bulge between his legs created the most delectable friction. "Wait!" I had something to talk to him about. It was just very difficult trying to remember what it was, now.

There was no time for him to take me, but he _did_ leave me dazed speechless when we arrived at the sixth floor. I stepped out like a zombie, walking slowly to room 64.

I pushed the door open. The sight of John's glower snapped me back to reality.

 _Uh oh…_

A day of work hadn't helped his mood, at all. "Look, I'm sorry for being irresponsible, but it was only one night and I was still at the hotel. If anything happened, you know that I would've called you. Besides, you looked _very_ busy with your wi – "

"Who were you with?" His face remained stern. The eyes narrowed when I stepped towards the dresser, reaching in to get a new set of clothes to change into.

"W-What do you mean?" I fiddled with the buttons on the pyjama top. He couldn't have found out, could he? I wasn't ready for anyone to know about what I had done!

"The lady downstairs told me that all the other rooms were booked, so who did you stay with?" The blue eyes were icy.

"No one, John," I lied. "They had a spare room, last night, and – "

He suddenly slammed his hand on the wall beside my head. I gulped, taken aback by the anger that was radiating off him. "Who was it, Madison?"

I pushed him away, glaring back at him. 'Why does it matter? I'm a grown woman, John! If you can fuck the wife you're about to divorce, then I can fuck anyone I want! It's none of your damn business!"

He remained quiet, silently glaring back at me. The dying sunlight cast an eerie glow in the room.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if you guys like more sexy times or less… I know I'm not that good with writing them, but… It is what it is. I'd love your feedback.

Also! This has been on my mind for a while now and I keep forgetting to ask you guys or maybe I have. I really can't recall. I'm looking for a name to call this series… Right now, it's just "My # AHS Series " and that won't do. Do you guys have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

Thank you **kai-baekyun98, Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : You'll have to wait and see what happens to Madi and James! I also felt so bad for Scarlett. Her mum was creepily obsessed with Holden and left Scarlett at home by herself or with her grandparents. She also basically tried to erase John from their family. It was just… urk… And regarding her trip to London, I went through it really quickly, but it was actually a pretty short trip. She returned shortly after the New Year after her conversation with John (You can tell when I planned things by what I write… Oops!) Regarding the Countess, I hope you'll look what I have planned because I have a lot planned, right now! It just needs to turn out right.

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you for reviewing!

 **Applejax XD** : And now, it's been quite a night for dear Madi. Teehee…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourite and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

He couldn't explain why hearing her confess that she had indeed gone to bed with another man made him so angry. What she said was true. She was a grown woman who had every right to fuck whoever she wanted. It wasn't as if she was even a virgin anymore. She had had boyfriends before. And sure, he never liked any of them, but the fury within him now was frightening. He didn't like it because it felt as if he was losing control of himself and the situation around him.

Sleep was difficult. He dreamt of his mystery woman, again. He enjoyed everything about it while he slept, but awake, he was frustrated that he still didn't know who she was and the hard on that always ensued was rarely satisfied.

He was glad, however, that Madison was still slumbering in front of him. He knew that she had fallen asleep still angry with his unreasonable behaviour, but she was here – safe. Yes, by his side, he could make sure that she was never going to be hurt.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone and he quickly picked up to hear Scarlett's voice sounding rather sheepish. She had just come back from Disneyland with her grandparents and decided that she wanted to bake cookies with them instead of going trick or treating with him like they had initially planned.

He was immediately disappointed. Today was supposed to be their day together. He knew that his relationship with his daughter was also strained after he left to stay at the hotel. He could only imagine what Alex must've been feeding her. He couldn't believe that he had to practically beg for her to stay with him. "O-Of course it's alright, honey," he told Scarlett. "Stay safe and have fun, okay?"

"Okay."

When he hung up, he let out a sigh. He could still remember a time when he had been completely content with his life. Everything had been going so well. How did it all come crashing down around him so quickly?

"Are you alright?" Her quiet voice was a welcoming distraction to his thoughts.

"Yeah," he replied, setting his phone down. "Yeah, I'm fine. Scarlett just decided that she didn't want to go Trick or Treating anymore. It's fine. It's natural. She's growing up."

He didn't like the way she was looking at him. He didn't need her pity.

"She's happy, though, isn't she? We can… We can do something else, today. There are probably a lot of Hallowe'en parties. I'll go look one up that's nearby." He appreciated her offer despite how poor of a company he was and the feeling of guilt nagged at him.

He apologised for the night before, but by the way she smiled at him, he knew that he was already forgiven.

"I have to go to work. Kaden's already on my case about being late all the time. I'll see you later?" She rolled over to hug him and he was almost glad that Scarlett had called to give him the disappointing news because it had gotten rid of his morning condition.

He nodded, hugging her back.

"Find a costume. If we're going to party, I want us dressed up!" With a grin, she disappeared into the bathroom.

It wasn't long before she was gone, leaving him alone in the hotel room. When had it felt so empty whenever she was away?

Running his hand through his messy bed hair, he frowned when he noticed something strange on his wall. There was a trail of red running down his cork board of photos – ones of his cases, friends, family, and Holden. He curiously touched the liquid, feeling the familiar viscosity of blood. What…? Where was it coming from?

When he looked up to search for the origins, he saw that the entire wall was slowly becoming drenched in red as if he was suddenly thrust into a horror movie.

He walked up the stairs, trying to figure out what was causing the obscene leakage. Never in his life had he seen blood soak through like that. It was abnormal. It was _impossible_. He had to find out what was going on, especially if it was possibly related to the Ten Commandment Killer or… Holden.

When he arrived outside the room right above his, he could hear a distressed woman through the doors and immediately began banging on the door, wondering if she was alright.

It wasn't long before a red headed middle-aged woman in an old maid uniform greeted him. He had seen her many times before in the halls, but other than a head nod and a smile, he never spoke to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, spotting the telltale signs that she had been crying.

She quickly wiped at her face and tried to play it off as nothing, but with a soft nudge, she spilled the cause of her distress. It was her son's death anniversary. The reveal hit close to home. He knew exactly what she must've been feeling. Almost every day reminded him of Holden – his birthday, his first day of school, when he first invited friends over… The list went on and on, but the day he went missing was the one that hurt the most.

"I'm sorry," he gave her his condolences, knowing from experience that there was nothing he could've said to make her feel better about her loss.

Suddenly, she stood up as if that moment of weakness never happened and began to fret about some sort of party for tonight.

His first thought was on what Madison had said. His second was on Wineville where Ms. Evers was informed of her son's possible remains. Even now, she was never given the confirmation that he had really died there. Perhaps he could find something to help her find some closure.

And so, he decided to look up the case himself when he arrived at the station. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find anything on it. It wasn't until Andy came into his office questioning his odd behaviour did he get the lead he needed. The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders... It wasn't a recent case as he had first assumed. No, this occurred eighty-five years ago. The old black and white photo made his blood run cold. There in the image was Ms. Hazel Evers, but that couldn't be. She looked exactly as she did when he saw her in the morning. They couldn't possibly be the same person.

It made absolutely no sense. She looked as if she was in her fifties in the photo. That would make her over a hundred-thirty years old, now. That couldn't be. It was as if she was physically frozen in time. Not a year had gone by since the death of her son.

The rest of the day past by in a blur. He couldn't stop thinking about what he had found out. He needed to ask her more questions. He needed to find out the truth. Would he find her at the party? He could kill both birds with one stone if he was able to get invites for both him and his sister.

By the time he left the station, he knew that he was too late to get a proper costume. It wasn't as if he even wanted one, but he knew how much she loved Hallowe'en. She wasn't going to be happy with his lack of effort.

As he was going up to their room, he was interrupted by a strange woman who dragged him to the bar. Liz was there as usual, giving him a wary look.

The woman sounded as if she was high. Her strange, unkempt appearance roused warning signs, but he patiently listened to her ramble on, until he realised who she was pretending to be. Who in their right mind would dress up as Aileen Wuornos? Granted, he had to admit that the woman was very convincing, especially when she stayed in character even when he expressed his exasperation and disbelief.

She laughed when he showed her his police badge and leaned in close. "I kill men like you," she whispered. "You're all _pigs_!"

He quickly came to the conclusion that she wasn't all there. She was in some delusion that she was truly Aileen Wuornos and that could be very dangerous for everyone else. He took her up to his room and cuffed her to the foot of the bed before going back down to the bar to speak with Liz. He thought it was best to inform a member of staff that he was going to call the police on the lunatic.

"Don't bother," she told him. "She'll already be gone from your room. Mr. March would've made sure of it. He takes care of his special guests."

"Mr. March?" he replied in a tone of disbelief.

Madison had mentioned the same name before.

"You mean, James Patrick March?" he asked her.

No, this was becoming more ridiculous by the second.

"The very one." Liz smiled at him. "He is throwing one of the most exhilarating soirée. Devil's Night is très exclusive! Invitations are only for those who – " She pulled out a clipboard and her eyes widened. "Well, how did I miss that?"

She turned around and slid out an envelope from the box labelled "64." His name was written clearly in elegant cursive. Inside was a simple card, less extravagant than the one he had received for the fashion show.

 _You are formally invited to Devil's Night. I hope that I shall see you there. And please, feel free to bring a date._

The invitation sounded suspicious, but he knew that this was the missing piece that e needed. He was, however, worried that it was going to be dangerous. This was why he was living here, away from his family. Of course, his stubborn sister just had to interfere as she always did and it was too late to say that he had something else to do, now.

Just as he thought that, she came strutting into the lobby in a shimmering red and gold dress that made her look like a human personification of a phoenix. Her hair was pinned up in a messy up do. Her eyes were smoked, bringing out the blue of her irises.

"My… Would you look at that?" Liz chuckled.

"John!" Madison exclaimed. "You're not in a costume!"

He gave her a half shrug, his eyes fixated on her attire. "Didn't have time, but I found us a party." He waved the elegant card in the air.

She plucked it out of his hand and with a quick scan, she beamed at him. "Devil's Night… Sounds spooky. You're forgiven! Let me head up to our room. Then, we can do."

He nodded, swallowing hard. The blood was rushing to his head. He was feeling a little faint.

As he quickly went to follow her up, he could hear Liz laughing quietly behind him.

He raced up to check his room first, wondering if the deranged woman was still inside. He didn't want to find that she had gotten out and attack the first person who walked through the door. Fortunately, or unfortunately – he really couldn't decide which – Liz was correct. She was missing as if she had never even been there.

When he notified her that the party was actually hosted by James March, her excitement faltered, but she didn't say anything regarding it. He suddenly had a feeling he knew who she stayed with, last night, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He had never met James March, but the name sounded familiar.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

They went up one floor to Room 78. The door was unlocked, but everything was quiet. What kind of party was this?

He felt Madison inch closer to him as they walked into the dimly lit room. There were two men conversing in the hall. Curious glances were thrown their way, but no one spoke a word to them.

Suddenly, the strange woman from the bar appeared in front of him, apologising as if the earlier altercation was nothing more than a bump of the shoulders.

He backed away from her, taking his sister with him as the manic woman continued to try to engage him in a conversation.

"Who is she?" Madison whispered.

Good question. He still didn't believe that she was the late Aileen Wuornos. HE also didn't know why she was here. Liz had mentioned that the imposter was a "special guest" of March, but why? All of the people here looked as if they belonged in prison or a mental ward.

"What kind of party did you take me to?" Her hand tightly gripped his arm.

Looking at her, he saw the way the dozens of candles made her look as if she was truly a phoenix in the red dress. She was the dash of colour in the room of muted black and white.

"We should go." He gritted his teeth, dodging Wuornos' hand before quickly threatening her with his police badge, again.

Luckily for her, another man interfered. A soft gasp came from his sister and he instantly knew who this person was.

"John, you and your date are welcome to sit at the table where your name cards are." March smiled, gesturing to the dining table. "And may I compliment your lovely lady? She is looking positively _divine_."

His sister smiled awkwardly back at the host.

They sat down. Madison was seated between him and March on the left side. There were a total of eight people in the room, each one of them, save for Madison, gave him a bad feeling. It made all the hairs on his body stand on end and years in the police force made him trust his natural instincts.

He took a tentative sip of the red wine. He was going to need a lot more than this, later.

He glared at March. "Who are you? What is all this?"

"I'm James March. I built this hotel," was the reply. This entire day wasn't making any sense, at all. First, Hazel Evers and now, James March. These people shouldn't be alive anymore. The builder of this hotel had died more than eighty years ago when there was an anonymous tip to the police regarding a long line of murders. The police had stormed through the building and found a murder-suicide between the owner and the… maid.

The maid…

Had it been Ms. Evers? He couldn't recall an identification for her, but he knew that the two of them were linked, somehow.

Things became even more bizarre when March had everyone introduce themselves – John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Aileen Wuornos, Richard Ramirez, and even the oddly dressed and masked one who was supposed to be the Zodiac Killer. Their introductions were all so quirky, but he didn't need any of their background information because he already had them all memorised.

"What is this? A Hallowe'en stunt?" he demanded.

"I want to leave, John," Madison hissed at him. Her hand had his in a bone crushing grip. There was a slight tremor running through her body.

James' eyes flitted to her. "No. No, my dear. Stay! Think of this as making up for the entire night when you left me sitting by myself." His eyes darkened before they travelled downward, feasting on the low neckline of her dress.

John growled. "Keep your eyes off her."

The other man laughed. An echo of chortles followed around the table.

"I'm leaving." She stood up and stormed towards the door. He was about to follow, but hands kept him down. His vision flickered. No, the wine? Had they spiked the wine?

Through blurry vision, he could see someone grab his sister. Her scream made every cell in his body echo her. How dare they? How dare they touch her?

He shouted and tried to struggle away, but it was no use.

"When are you going to accept that we are all dead?"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry, this may seem a little rushed! I didn't want to go over everything that you guys already knew, but please tell me if perhaps putting in a little more detail for Devil's Night would be more enjoyable to read.

Also, let me know if there are any mistakes. I accidentally left this waaaaaay too late to complete. Sorry!

Thank you **kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest, Guest, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you! There is definitely more of that to come.

 **anonymouscsifan** : I will reveal more regarding James and the Countess, soon! From what happened to Tristan, I believe her to be possessive even to things and people she had cast aside. She never seemed truly happy with anything after Rudolph disappeared and perhaps that's why she doesn't want anyone else to be happy. I'm not really sure why exactly they used Finn Wittrock for both actors… Maybe that was why she was extra jealous of Tristan and Liz... I'm totally going on a tangent, now!

 **Guest** : Welcome back! Whenever I see Guest, I always wonder if it's you. I find it funny that you always identify yourself as the confused one and I love it! I definitely find the Countess very, very selfish. Regarding if anything bad happens to her, well…

 **Guest** : They're all better! At least, their relationship is. I can't really guarantee anything else. Teehee…

 **Guest** : Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourite and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

I had had enough of this talk of murders and murderers. Why did I allow John to choose the venue? He was always the boring one. It's not his fault that he didn't know what a good party would look like, but this one really took the cake. All those people at the table were absolutely mad, _including_ James March.

As I was about to fling open the door, two arms wrapped around my waist and turned me around. "Now, that is very rude of you. Haven't I been a good host?"

I blinked several times, feeling unusually disoriented from that mere motion. My vision blurred and it was as if everything was still moving around me.

"Alright, so I may have put something in your wine. I needed to make sure that you were going to stay and have fun." He leaned down. "You know how much fun I can be."

I weakly tried to push him away. "L-Let me… Let me go." Why had I even considered seeing him, again? He was crazy. And if he wasn't, then he was a _dead serial killer_. Any way I looked at it, he was bad news.

"Come here. Don't make me hurt you. I'd really hate to leave any permanent marks on you, my dead," he purred, tightening his grip on my arm.

I had no choice but to allow him to take me back to the table like a sacrificial lamb.

"Can we play with her, now?" Ramirez reached over, but James smacked his hand away.

"She is not for you," he hissed with narrowed eyes before smiling at the other man. 'But fear not. I do have a gift for all of you. Miss Evers!"

Sobs filled the room as another woman was brought in. She was sat down similarly to me, but they tied her to the chair, preventing her from leaving.

I tied to stand up, again, but stumbled over my own feet and fell sideways into my brother who let out a low groan. He was in the same groggy state as I was. "John…"

My eyes fluttered. It was so hard to stay awake. The sobs and screams grew further and further away. The hyena-like laughter was nothing but a minor disturbance.

A hand fell on my head in his lap. I was so tired and it was so comfortable here.

…

My eyes snapped open and I found myself lying naked in bed with John beside me. He was sitting up, rubbing his eyes, muttering to himself. His bare back had fresh scratches near his shoulders.

"What happened, last night?" It was something I had to ask, but I feared what he was going to say.

"I don't know." He shook his head, refusing to look at me. "Fuck… Were we drinking?"

It felt like it. My head was pounding. When I rubbed my eyes, makeup was still there. As I tried to remember the night before, there was a strong hint of fear. Bloodcurdling screams and a roar of laughter. There wasn't much more than that.

Spotting the torn red dress, I felt sick. Our clothes were haphazardly thrown around the room. We were both completely naked. I had no delusions that what we had done last night was appropriate for siblings, but we were both inebriated to the point where we had no memories of what happened last night. I was also on birth control. Things could always be worse. One of us could've died. "We could pretend that this never happened," I told him.

He finally turned to look at me. "There… We might not have done anything. There's not enough evidence – "

"Evidence?!" I cut him off. "We're both in bed _naked_. I'm not even going to tell you how fucking sore I'm feeling. What other evidence do you need?! We fucked up, John, but I don't want this to damage our relationship. I don't want to lose you. Can't we just forget that any of this happened?"

"How?"

"I don't know… Time?" But at least it was something to work towards because I didn't want this hanging over my head for the rest of my life.

He slid out of bed and I quickly closed my eyes, while he got dressed. His suit was heavily creased as he wordlessly left the room.

I got ready not long after, giving Kaden a call that I wasn't going to be able to make it to work. He sounded concerned, but I had no intentions of telling him what had happened.

My feet took me up a floor to James March's room. Something was telling me that he had answers, but I was afraid of what I may find.

As I paced the hall in front of Room 78, flashes of memories came to me. I was here last night for a Hallowe'en party, or so John had told me. We had gone in to discover the most boring _party_ I had ever seen. There were only a harmful of people with martini glasses and a couple of bottles of wine. It was too stiff.

I couldn't recall what the food tasted like or whether there was even any food. All I tried was a few sips of old, expensive wine. It was good, but something was wrong. The people there, they were –

"My! My! What did I do to gain the honour of having you in front of me, my dear?" James March looked exactly the same as always. He wasn't behaving as if anything had gone wrong the previous night.

When I didn't reply, he stepped to the side and invited me in. "Why don't we discuss whatever is on your mind? We can get comfortable and relax with a glass of wine."

"No!" I shouted, causing him to blink in surprise. "No wine, but I do have some things to ask you." I wasn't sure why I was so adverse to the wine. There wasn't really a good reason, at all.

He smiled. "Of course! Please, make yourself at home."

"Thank you." The room was just as I remembered, but there were no traces of the party. It almost seemed as if it never happened. The maid must've worked very hard.

The maid… What was her name?

Ms. Evers?

The woman had never introduced herself to me before, but I must've heard it from someone.

"Miss Lowe?" He looked at me with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I told him. "Last night must've been wild. I don't remember much of what happened. I was wondering if you could tell me."

"Yes… Last night…" He smirked. 'You had a little too much to drink. Both you and your brother are very interesting drunks. You were shouting and hallucinating. Quite a scene for all my other guests, but I can assure you that we all had fun."

I blushed. I could believe that of myself, but John would never have let go enough here to have fun. James was not telling me everything. "How did we end up back in our room?" Especially in the state that we were in.

"The two of you were still capable of walking by the time the party was over. I was quite impressed," he told me. "But I followed along to make sure that nothing untowardly happened to either of you."

I suppressed a frustrated groan. I was rubbish at this interrogation business. If only my brother was here instead. "Just tell me what is going on, James! I feel like I'm losing my mind here!"

He threw his head back and _laughed_. The absolute nerve of him!

"You're never going to give me a straight answer, are you?" I hissed, tired of his antics. His little party had just ended up with my brother and me committing a taboo. Was this all part of his game?

When he looked back at me, his eyes were dark and absent of all mirth. "If you'd start looking at what is in front of you and accept the truth, then you wouldn't have to keep coming to me for answers." He pulled me up by my arm, making me stumble into him. "Do you think I _enjoy_ this?" he snarled. "You make me suffer everyday because your tiny little brain cannot handle the truth. Open your eyes, my dear. Maybe you'd stop being so confused for once."

I wrenched myself away from him, my eyes wide and my heart slamming in my chest. "Fuck you! You're just a psychopath! Don't ever come near me, again!"

I ran as quickly as I could away from him, ignoring the burning stare that seemed to follow me everywhere. I couldn't believe that I was actually beginning to warm up to him!

As I was hurrying down the stairs, the blonde haired woman was ascending them with a sort of grace that made me stop and stare. Her dark red lips spread into a small smirk.

"I hope you're enjoying your stay," she purred. " _Nothing strange has happened_ , has it?"

My feet slowed to a stop. I found myself entranced by her as she reached out and gently brushed my cheek. Who was she?

" _I am the owner of the Hotel Cortez_ ," she went on before leaning down to press her lips on mine. _"James March was the old owner who no longer resides here nor in your mind."_

My eyes had closed at one point because when I opened them again, she was already gone. Had I imagined the entire encounter? Who was that mysterious woman? She said that she was the owner, but she never mentioned her name. Why had she kissed me? There were endless questions that I had no clue of where to even start searching for the answers.

"Is there something you needed, my dear?" the bald receptionist… The name took a little longer to recall, but I eventually found it. Liz Taylor. "Madison?"

"I'm fine," I told her. "I…" What was I doing? Why had I gone downstairs?

"Do you want me to call… _him_?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No need to call my brother." As I walked back up the stairs, I had a feeling that perhaps she hadn't meant John. There was someone else, but I couldn't remember. It was as if I was missing bits and pieces of my life. What was happening to me? What was causing these memory lapses?

I took my phone out and began to flip through the most recent calls and photos. John was the predominant subject. There were a couple of Liz and several of an unknown male. He didn't seem to be aware that I had taken photos of him. I also couldn't recall doing it. Perhaps I had lent someone my phone? Was it John, but for what purpose? A case?

A dull ache formed at the centre of my head. Something was wrong with me. As I was about to call John, he suddenly appeared in the room looking like a haggard mess.

He tossed his coat on to the chair and the key thrown on to the mattress by my feet. He sat down with his head in his hands.

My own problems were temporarily pushed away at the sight of his despair. "John, what happened? Are you alright?" I wrapped my arms around him from behind and rested my cheek on his back.

His entire body stiffened at my touch, but he didn't push me away. I wracked my brain for the cause, but could only recall the sense of dread and guilt in the morning. Hugging was nothing foreign for us. I didn't know what happened that made him react this way. It was as if I knew it, but like a vivid dream that managed to slip away. The past five years felt that way and there was no rhyme or reason for it. I could only hope that my being a user in the past wasn't finally catching up to me.

"He didn't believe me… I told him about James Patrick March and he didn't believe me! He thought I was crazy... He thought I wasn't qualified, so he fuckin' fired me!" He was shaking with anger as I listened to him, but there were so many questions swimming around in my head.

"Who's James March?" It was the first thing that I blurted and it made him freeze, but I thought it was a logical question. Why would he expect me to know someone from one of his cases? I hadn't snoop on _all_ of his files.

"What do you mean who's James March?" He turned to me with a frown. "You know exactly who that is. He helped us find Scarlett, you stayed a night with him, and we saw him last night with the rest of those fuckin' copycat serial killers!"

I shook my head. "I don't remember much from last night. I probably drank too much."

He sank his fingers into my shoulders. "No! Don't let them get into your head! They were there. They drugged us, Madison! Don't you remember?! Don't you remember _any_ of them?"

His words confused me, but the panic came up, nonetheless. Something told me that he was telling the truth. He had no reason to lie to me about this. Not only that, if I had spent a night with this James March somewhere, I would've remembered that.

"Don't you remember?" he whispered. "I'm not crazy."

"I know you're not." I placed a hand on his cheek. "I think something weird is happening to us. Someone is playing with us because I know we can't both be going crazy at the same time."

I sank into his arms; holding on to the only thing that I knew was real. I really wanted to believe my own words because he had always been my sanity. He kept me grounded when I was in my own delusions. I couldn't afford for him to lose himself. Even if I tried myself to support him, I knew that deep inside, I still wasn't as strong as I wanted to be. "Don't let me go." Deep inside, I was still the same weak and lost girl.

"I won't," he promised. His voice was low. His lips lingered on my forehead. His hand trailed down my body.

"John, what are you doing?" I gasped when he buried his face into the crook of my neck.

He bit me, nibbling on the sensitive skin, until I was leaning against him, again. "John…"

"Tell me I'm not going crazy," he groaned, shifting me over until I was sitting on his lap.

I obediently did as he bade, distracted by the feel of his hands. There was still a part of me that knew this was wrong. He was my brother. This was one of the biggest taboos, but whatever he was doing didn't exactly feel foreign. I allowed myself to enjoy his touch for a moment longer before putting a stop to the madness we were inevitably spiralling into. "We can't do this," I whispered to him, stopping the fingers that were quickly working on my jeans. Even with the thick material between us, I could still feel his arousal rubbing against me.

He didn't say anything back. Instead, he pushed me on to the bed and moved his lips on top of mine.

My heart was racing in my chest. Something about this was so exhilarating, but we couldn't continue. We were going to regret it in the morning. "Stop, John… Stop!"

As if I had found an off switch, he fell heavily on top of me and remained motionless, except for his heavy breathing.

Neither of us knew what to do next. Our blood was still racing through our veins from all the adrenaline.

Eventually, fatigue set in and my eyes drooped closed.

…

James was furious. He was sitting in his room across from his wife for their monthly dinner and he knew exactly what she had done. She had promised him that one night, but in a short moment, she had taken it all away, again.

"How are you enjoying your meal, _darling_?" He was gritting his teeth as he watched her elegantly cut the carrots on her plate.

She smiled at him as she always did, with nothing in her eyes. This was like a monthly chore for her and he was beginning to feel the same.

Gone were the days where he worshipped her for her passion and ruthlessness. Now, she was just cold. She was already dead inside, which was ironic since _he was_ the one dead.

"It's fine," she replied. "You look as if you wish to say something to me."

He stared at her for a long time. "Of course! I can never tire of expressing my love for you!"

They both knew that this was a charade. Since he died, their entire relationship had become a charade. He had wanted so desperately to cling on to the life he had envisioned all those decades ago. He still did. That was why he still had those dinners, but Elizabeth wasn't the one he wanted across from him anymore.

Instead of the frosty blonde, he wanted his fiery brunette.

He needed to go see her.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Thank you **Carrera, kai-baekyun98, BucksDoe** , guests ( **Guest, Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : I definitely agree! I loved that episode and somehow… it turned out that way… I hope this chapter is better! Thanks so much for being honest! Your feedbacks are really the only tools I have to improve on my stories.

 **Guest** : Haha! Your identification always makes me smile! I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing for you because writing it confused me a little!

 **Carrera** : Thank you!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Here it is! I hope you like it!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Oops… Were you hanging there for too long? Do you still have feeling in your arms? I'm so happy that you caught the phoenix reference (of course you would)! James and Madi's relationship will hopefully start clearing up, soon. I'm still trying to plan out when that will happen, but I wonder if this chapter gave some not-so-subtle clues! And I apologise, but this story will definitely have some brother and sister taboo in it. I don't know how it happened, but I can't get rid of the notion from my head. It'll probably pop up every once in a while in the series (and probably a lot of my near-future stories). I really don't know how this ended up happening to me… And now me putting it on your guys…

 **BucksDoe** : Hahaha! Yes, sexy time will definitely happen in the future for this story and this series! Regarding Maze Runner, my favourite character is most definitely Newt. I haven't read the books, yet, even though I own them (I really need to start on that because I heard of how different the books and movies are!). I've had a few spoilers from reading fanfiction on the series. If I do start a one-shot or story on it, it will be after finishing up my Crimson Peak fanfic because that has been unintentionally dragging on too long, but that only has two more chapters. What about you? What is your favourite character?

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter or if you have any questions!


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

In the middle of the night, I had woken up to find that John was gone. I wondered why the feeling of him on top of me was so familiar. It was not a position we were usually in.

He was my brother. Siblings didn't do things like that.

Sure, we had bathed together when we were very young children, but our parents had put a stop to that as soon as we were old enough to be trusted to not drown ourselves. We had a very, very normal childhood. Even when I had begun to spiral out of control, we never did anything to each other that was deemed inappropriate. I had never once considered John as anything but my brother up until now.

Suddenly, it was as if I was viewing him in a slightly different light with a possibility of doing something that would be heavily frowned upon. These feelings and thoughts were running around in circles, driving me insane while I tried to sort them out.

As the door slowly creaked open, I quickly shut my eyes, again. I wasn't ready to face him.

The bed dipped down beside me and his arm wrapped around my waist as it sometimes did, but suddenly, it felt a lot more intimate than it did before. His breath brushed my ear.

I wondered if he could hear how loud my heart was pounding in my chest, but it stopped when his hand wandered downward and slipped beneath my tank top.

It was then did I feel the strange texture that covered his body. The hand was smooth and slightly cold. It reminded me of rubber as it continued to move along my body, until it stopped at my breast.

I couldn't' stop the gasp when his fingers pinched my nipple. My back pushed against him, feeling the bulge that was poking back at me.

The groan that emitted from him was familiar, but it didn't sound like John. I was instantly left wondering who was behind me in the bed.

My eyes snapped open and I tried to get away, but a body pinned me down. I looked into the dark eyes of the masked man.

James March.

His name came quickly into my head as if I had always known it; as if he wasn't a stranger who had broken into my room and was currently sexually harassing me.

"Stop…" I told him, but my words were weak. Uncertainty poked at the dark crevices of my mind. I couldn't coordinate my brain, heart, and body to act accordingly to the situation.

He narrowed his eyes. No words left his rubber-covered lips as he decided, instead, to work on relieving me of my clothes.

I tried to push him away and ended up catching part of the zipper at the back. My hand moved upward in an attempt to unmask him, but he quickly stopped me. The rubber where his mouth was shifted and I watched in fascination as his eyes darkened with lust, trailing down my naked body.

"James…" I groaned when he slipped his finger in me.

His body stilled as if he hadn't been expecting it, but his shock dissipated quickly as he continued to slide in and out. My soft moans made him chuckle.

It didn't feel wrong for this stranger with a name to touch me as he did. In fact, I had never felt so right.

I touched his rubber-clad face and pulled him down to kiss the encased lips. He hummed pressing harder against me, the rumbling vibrating through my body.

"Take me." I needed this. I needed to feel him inside me, but it seemed that he had no intentions to relieve me of this sweet torment. He had me panting and begging for him.

Eventually, he let his hard member out. The head was dark and glistening. I buckled my hips, hoping for some mercy, but he continued to tease me, gliding the length along my slit, until he was covered in my juice.

He ran his hand down my body and threw his head back, breathing in deep.

His eyes locked with mine as he slowly entered me. The moment he was fully sheathed, I was gone, convulsing in his arms. He held still, waiting for my climax to die down before he began to pump inside me.

He didn't stop until I was a mess, writing beneath him. With a groan, he finally came, filling me with his essence. He lay on top of me, nuzzling the side of my neck.

My eyes began to droop as I savoured the feeling of him pressed all around me. I tried to force myself to stay awake because I knew that when I woke up the next morning, he would be gone and I'd be left wondering if any of this actually happened.

He shifted us until I was lying on his chest. The rubber was strange against my cheek, but not unpleasant. I could feel ever definition of his body as if he was naked.

I ran my hand down his body, feeling the rumble of his purr beneath me. With a content sigh, my eyes completely closed. I wanted to be able to savour this moment – this short instant of absolute bliss.

When I woke up the next morning, the bed was empty. As expected, I immediately began to question whether last night ever happened. Lately, I was having that problem a lot. It was difficult trying to differentiate between dream and reality.

The door opened. John strolled in as if he hadn't had any sleep all night. There were dark bags beneath his bloodshot eyes. A cup of hot coffee steamed in his hand. Had my moment with him also been a figment of my imagination?

I kept my mouth shut, not wishing to make an awkward situation when there was no reason to.

He sat down at the foot of the bed. "Sorry about last night," he mumbled. "I wasn't in the right frame of mind after the lieutenant… Anyway, I spoke with Alex earlier. I think I'm going to go check myself in. I can't trust myself not to hurt you, again. I never…"

"Stop, John," I cut him off. "You didn't' hurt me. I know you'd never do that and what do you mean you're checking yourself in?"

He sighed. "These thoughts in my head… I need to get rid of them and… I need to get away from here. I need to get away from _you_."

I bit my lips as I tried to suppress the sting of his words. "If it really affected you this much, you could've told me. I would've left you alone." Tears were already welling up in my eyes.

I quickly got out of bed and began to hastily throw my things into my luggage. I knew that I could be overbearing and I knew that I could be annoying, but I thought that… I didn't think that I would end up being the reason he'd literally volunteer himself into a metal institute.

"Madison, I didn't mean it that way!" he hissed.

I wasn't paying him any attention. My feet carried me to the bathroom where I hastily brushed my teeth and hair before tossing those items on top of my pile of clothes.

"God damn it! Listen to me!"

When I tried to open the door, he slammed it back shut and spun me around. "Listen to me!" he repeated. "It's not because I don't want you around. It's because I want you around _too much_! Whenever you're here, I'm finding it harder and harder to see you as just my sister!"

He pressed me flat against the door. 'Don't you feel how much I want you?"

I gulped at the bulge that was poking my stomach. "John…"

"I can't feel this way…" He leaned down until our lips were nearly touching.

I closed my eyes, but he needed up leaving the kiss on my forehead. "Take care. I'll be back. There are just some things I have to do and figure out."

I nodded. It was probably best. I probably had to book my own appointment with a therapist. His feelings were not entirely unrequited. I, too, could feel the physical and emotional pull between us, but I had another to distract me.

James March – the rubber man.

I knew that I must've known him from somewhere before. The only problem was trying to recall everything else. Whenever I tried, a headache would always stop me from pursuing too far.

"Get better and come back, soon," I whispered to him, wrapping my arms around him.

He sighed into my neck.

It was hard watching him pack up and leave. With him gone and me already packed, I contemplated leaving as well, but something still seemed amiss. It felt as if I had unfinished business here and James March was at the very centre of it.

The moment I left the room, I saw the same strange woman and quickly hurried away. My ever instinct told me to get away as soon as possible.

The elevator slid open and a dark haired man pulled me in. His dark eyes pierced through mine. "Do you remember me?"

"James March," I breathed. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

A look of relief passed through his face. "Good… Stay away from her."

He really didn't need to tell me twice. I wanted nothing to do with the woman who looked at me as if I was her prey, but then again, James wasn't too different. His dark eyes, however, displayed the sinful desire of what he wanted to do to me. "Tell me I'm not crazy," I mumbled, resting my head on his chest.

I could feel the rumble of his chuckle. "Aren't we all a little crazy? This is what I love about humans."

I looked up to glare at him. "Tell me that someone is messing with my head and there's good reason why it feels as if my brain is getting scrambled all the time."

"It's not your fault. It's _hers_. Just stay away from her and we'll be fine." HE continued to hold me even when a couple walked in and giggled at us.

I didn't ask him about John. I wasn't sure if I wanted anyone to know what we had done.

When we were alone in the elevator once more, I sent us to the seventh floor and tugged him towards his room. "So eager… I like it!"

"Open the door." I waited patiently as he unlocked it and pushed the door open for me. "I want you to tell me about Holden."

"What is there to tell? I only know what you've told me," he stated, saying things that I don't recall ever doing.

"I…" I clenched my eyes when my head began to hurt. There was a strong sense of déjà vu. "How… How many times have we had this conversation?" I whispered, horror settling in because suddenly, I could remember bits and pieces of past encounters as if they were from a long distant dream that happened long ago.

He had helped me with Scarlett. That was why the question about Holden blurted out so quickly. It also explained why it felt as if I knew him before last night. It wasn't the first time we had been intimate.

He sighed before rifling through a drawer and handed me a simple leather journal. I placed it on my lap, the fear made my hands tremble. Did I want to see what was inside?

"Go on," he urged me, sitting by my side.

I slowly lifted the beautiful black cover, revealing the first pace that was covered with familiar writing – my own.

 _April 15_ _th_ _, 2010_

This was five years ago, shortly after Holden had gone missing. Why would he have something like this? Why couldn't I recall ever writing it?

 _I can't believe I lost him. John and Alex are fighting because of me. What the Hell am I going to do? I have to find him somehow, but I don't know where else to do. I feel as if I've tried everything. Where could he have gone? He is just a young boy. What if he was being sold in the black market?_

 _What am I even doing here? It's obvious that Holden couldn't be in this stupid place. I followed John to the Cortez Hotel and now, I can't keep away. What's wrong with me? I'm waiting my time here instead of looking elsewhere for Holden._

The first entry was long and frantic. There were many more after it. At first, it was every day, then every week… There were several months where I wrote nothing before the strange sporadic entries continued.

 _July 23_ _rd_ _, 2010_

 _James Patrick March. There's something about him. He knows more than he's letting on, but he's not telling me anything. He's so infuriating! And what is with that stupid accent?! Did he think he was some sort of Bond villain? It's just… BLAH!_

 _And John… My God, he's been strange. Sometimes, he'd come in here as if he was a completely different person. He wouldn't tell me anything and just fall asleep on the bed with his SHOES_ _on! He knows how much I hate that! Honestly, it feels as if you're the only one who'll listen to me._

 _October 31_ _st_ _, 2010_

 _Alright, so James finally decided to take me out. We went to some really fancy restaurant. It was completely unnecessary, but I really appreciated the gesture. It was sweet and sweet is something I don't associate with him...Ever. He's always so strange and mischievous._

 _It almost felt as if he was a completely different person when he was outside, as if he was enjoying the freedom of being outside the old hotel. I couldn't really blame him. The hotel was alright. It's not so bad anymore, but I can't imagine spending all my time there._

 _February 14_ _th_ _, 2011_

 _He surprised me with a romantic dinner. I thought he was a creep at first, but he's really starting to grow on me. It doesn't hurt that he's handsome and an absolute animal in bed. It's almost as if he's made just for me. The only problem was, he keeps refusing to go out with me. We only had that one day on Hallowe'en before he invited those even creepier friends of his to some dinner party. I left pretty early because it made me so damn uncomfortable. I'm glad today didn't end up like that._

 _John's been really suspicious, lately, though. He's staying at the hotel pretty often and wondered where I was all night. I had to make some stupid excuse because he doesn't like James. Geez… I'm an adult! I can make my own decisions!_

James suddenly left a kiss on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. "Keep going," he murmured.

I flipped past several pages before stopping at one with messy writing.

 _August 9_ _th_ _, 2011_

 _Oh, God… What did I just do? James had both John and I over for dinner because he wanted to dissolve the tension. It kind of worked, but what the fuck did I just do?!_

 _I can't even… Shit… I must've been drunk… Oh, God… Maybe this is all a dream because there's no way I just had sex with my brother!"_

I could still read the last sentence through my scribbles.

"That was a good night," he purred.

"No…" The image of John and I waking up naked two days prior entered my mind. How could I have forgotten that? "What is going on…?" Was it me? Was there something wrong with my brain? Did I have head trauma?"

"None of that. There's nothing wrong with you. It's _her_. Keep reading, my sweet. You shall understand."

And so, I did.

I went through dozens of pages before I found the one that he wanted me to find.

 _December 2_ _nd_ _, 2011_

 _That bitch has been erasing my memories! James told me that she contracted some bullshit virus that gives her powers. She just sounds like some wannabe vampire to me. I can't explain how she's fucking with my head, but there has to be a better explanation!_

 _Shit… I think he's doing it to John, too. It's the only reason why he's never mentioned anything we've done. I want to leave here, but not without James. How could I grow attach to someone like him? He's not even human, anymore…"_

I shook my head. "What the Hell did that mean? You're not _human_?!"

"I'm dead, Madi, but that's not important, right now," he said, flipping to a page with a fold in the corner. "Just one more."

"No! This is absolute madness! How could you be dead? And how the Hell is that not important?! You should've mentioned that to me ages ago!" I shouted.

He shot me a look. "Believe me, I have. Now, _read_."

With a huff, I looked back at the journal.

 _March 15_ _th_ _, 2012_

 _I love him. I love him and it's killing me inside because I know that she's just going to take it away from me, again. How long do I have, this time? Hours? Days? Never anything longer than that._

 _Remember, Madi. Don't even forget this. You love him and he loves you back. Don't let him go. Don't let her win._

 _Keep this safe for me, James. I love you._

 _Always._

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

What am I doing to these guys… But I hope some things are being explained! Lots more to come in the future. I hope I'll be able to keep track of everything… Tell me if I mess up anywhere!

Thank you **sandradee27, Vivi H88, kai-baekyun98, Applejax XD, BucksDoe** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : No worries! That didn't make me uncomfortable, at all, if you haven't noticed from what happened in this chapter. I'm trying to keep track of my own time line in this and I'm really hoping I'm not messing up!

 **sandradee27** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Teehee… James is very possessive, but I hope this chapter explained some of his obsession.

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **kai-baekyun98** : I hope you liked this chapter, too!

 **Applejax XD** : I think he's pretty tired of it happening.

 **BucksDoe** : Yes! Have you seen Death Cure? That scene! My eyes were watering…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

He watched her close the book and let out a shaky breath. "I want to remember. Is there a way to get my memories back?"

"It's happened before. Even if you forget me, I'll make you love me, again and again and again." The book was dropped to the floor when he climbed on top of her, savouring the way her eyes widened and her breathing quickened. "Or perhaps your forgetfulness warrants some punishment."

She let out a soft gasp when he bit her neck, hard enough to draw blood. His hand roamed beneath her clothes, loving the feel of her soft flesh without any barriers between them. "James…" she mewed, lifting her hips to create more friction between them.

He had always loved this part. The make-up sex was phenomenal. It was a consolation for the hassle of her forgetting him, but he wasn't about to let her go. Not yet…

Once she was bare beneath him, he slammed himself into her as if he was never going to have her again. His grip on her hips was bruising. The couch screeched with every thrust.

He could see the stark white body at the corner of his eyes and turned to glare at it. The demon wasn't going to have her. He kept his gaze on it as he continued to pump inside her.

By the Gods, he was never going to tire of this. This need for her was what always attracted the blasted creature.

He closed his eyes and buried his nose into the crook of her neck. A low groan escaped him when she squeezed him tightly, pushing him over the edge. She milked him as if he still had virile seed left to fill her belly and make it round with his babe.

"Sweet Madi…"

She sighed, holding him close. "So, I saw something else in that book that I don't recall writing, at all… You… Are you really dead? You feel pretty alive to me. A bit cold, but – "

"Yes, I'm dead," he confirmed. "But it doesn't make me any less of a man."

"I think you've proven that quite well," she tiredly laughed. "So, Holden is here?"

This was not a conversation he wanted, especially when they were both naked and he was still inside her. "Yes," he replied, absentmindedly tweaking her nipple.

She hummed.

He could tell exactly what was going through her head. She was wondering if John ever found out, only to also have his memories taken away. The answer was yes and it was truly a tragedy. The subject of their misery had been right under their noses all this time and deep inside, they knew about it.

"I need to call John," she mumbled, trying to push him off, but he wasn't ready to let her go, yet.

"Just a little longer."

They remained bonded until it was dark outside. By then, she had already lost her opportunity to call him. Alex had picked up the phone, stating that John was finally getting the treatment he needed.

" _Treatment."_

She hadn't believed a word she had heard. John wasn't crazy. He didn't need to admit himself.

James chuckled as she continued to rage, voicing to do Alex harm if anything happened to her brother. Elizabeth didn't see it, but his dear Madi had potential. He knew that he could shape her to his image. If her brother failed, he had no doubt that she would be able to finally finish it for him. "Why don't I order us some champagne? I'll have you nice and relaxed – "

"I want to see Holden," she suddenly said.

He tilted his head. "Isn't it much more appealing for us to – "

"Please, James. Take me to him," she begged.

How could he possibly refuse her?

She was quiet during their descent. He tried his best to engage her in conversation, but her mind was too far away. She held on to him as they walked out and walked down several sets of stairs into the basement.

When they arrived, she gasped at the sight of the beautifully crafted caskets. No one could ever say that Elizabeth didn't have good taste. It was only ever the best for her.

Madi slowly approached the neatly placed coffins and looked through each one. The first was empty, but the second showed her what she wanted to see. "Holden…"

There behind the crystal clear glass was her blonde nephew, looking as if he hadn't aged a day since his disappearance.

She pulled open the top and gently ran the back of her hand on the child's cold, pale cheek. "Is he… Is he dead?"

"No, of course not. He is very much alive," he replied, taking his place beside her. "You know what happened to him." He urged her to remember bits and pieces of the information herself and was rewarded with her eyes widening with realisation.

"Holden?" she whispered, rousing the eternal child from his slumber.

Blue eyes slowly fluttered open and blinked sleepily at her before he smiled, throwing his arms around her. "Auntie Madi! You're back!"

Her eyes widened further at James as she cradled the child against her chest.

He chuckled back at her. She must've missed the entries where she visited her nephew – quite frequently in fact. "You look very happy there." He wrapped his arms around her waist, whispering into her ear. "I'm starting to feel jealous. It was only moments ago when you had me against your bosom."

She shot him a look that made him smirk. "It shouldn't come to a surprise that I love Holden way more than I love you."

"But you _do_ love me," he purred, causing her eyes to shift away. A very endearing blush flooded her face.

"I didn't mean it that way!" she hissed back at him.

The sound of tinkling giggles made them both look at the platinum blonde boy who was watching mirthfully at them. Madi kissed his head.

"What are you doing with my boy?" a voice suddenly interrupted the moment.

They looked at the door to see John Lowe's estranged wife. He had seen her walk around his hotel in the dark, cliché bloodsucker outfit many times after she was infected by Elizabeth, but it was Madi's first encounter with her since then.

"What the Hell are you wearing?" Madi glared at the woman, holding the child closer against her.

Alex sneered back at her. "That's not important. What's important is that you have my child and he doesn't belong to you. Come here, Holden. Come to mommy."

Obediently, the child gently pulled away from Madi and walked towards his mother. 'Mommy, I'm hungry!"

"I'll get us something to eat," she quietly told her son, carrying him in her arms, and not giving the couple another glance before she left.

Madi was fuming even after the blonde woman was gone. "I hate her!" she growled.

He kissed her shoulder. "I don't care much for her, either, but let us not have our moods dampened by someone like her. Dear Holden is safe and all is well, no?"

"But John is still in the damn loony bin, thinking that he's crazy!" she exclaimed. "I've tried calling him, but Alex has his phone and she won't tell me anything. I'll have to somehow hunt him down."

James frowned. He didn't want her to leave. Why couldn't she just wait patiently like him? He had faith that John was his man. He was going to fulfill his prophecy. Then again, she didn't know what he knew. She didn't know about all the things her precious brother had done.

"Have Liz help you," he said.

She smiled softly at him. "I can handle it." The kiss she left on his lips made him lean in for more. "Not here," she breathed.

"Then why not head back to my room?" He grinned, imagining all the things he was going to do to her, but she quickly popped his fantasy bubble.

"Not now, James. I have to find John. I need to tell him that he's not going crazy. I bet that bitch didn't even tell her that she found Holden!"

He resisted the urge to pout when he couldn't get his way. "Fine, but I do expect to see you very soon. Run off while I still allow it."

She laughed and quickly went on her way with her phone in her hand.

He huffed.

…

The hospital was easy to find. It was the closest one by where my house was. John's therapist was also known to work there from time to time. The only problem was having someone allow me to see him. None of them seemed to care that I was his sister or how worried I was. Apparently, he had asked for no visitors and I really couldn't understand why. "Just let me see him for _one minute._ That's all I need!"

The lady glared at me and I could see the orderly cross his arms, stepping closer.

Muttering curses, I turned and left the place, dialling the therapist for help. Unfortunately, the call ended up going to voice mail, so I left a long, angry message before speeding back to the hotel.

James was a wonderful distraction to all the shit in my life. He was the bit of fantasy that I clung on to in order to stay sane. He was the night that cloaked around me, hiding all the crazy that was happening.

"I need you to come over! We need to talk!" Alex's call had woke me up in the middle of the night. Her voice was the last thing I wanted to hear, especially when I was so comfortably wrapped in James' arms.

"And what makes you think we have _anything_ to talk about?" I shot back. "You've made it plenty clear before that you hate me and it's no surprise that that feeling is completely mutual."

"Don't go," he groaned behind me, running his hand down my body. His cock twitched against my back.

" _Please_ , Madison. I'll tell you everything once you're here," she went on as if we were suddenly friends – as if we were suddenly each other's confidantes.

Thinking while James was trailing kisses down my neck was extremely difficult. "I…"

I took a sharp breath when he thrust into me. He was unrelenting even when I was hitting him and trying to push him away. My actions only seemed to fuel him. The bastard was enjoying my discomfort. "Is this something we can do over the ph-phone? It's not really the time…"

"Madison… Can't you behave like a normal adult for once?" Her condescending tone only served to anger me further.

How dare this woman speak to me as if I was the one in the wrong? "Forget it. I want nothing to do with you."

"I'm sorry!" she blurted out. "Please, do this for Holden? It could change his life!"

I gritted my teeth, trying my best not to cry out when he began to rub the bundle of nerves that was becoming oversensitive from the stimulation. "Fine! L-Later… I'll be by your place in a f-few hours," I somehow managed to utter out.

"I know we're not best friends – or even friends, but I really appreciate you doing this for me. I'll see you later."

My teeth were biting down on my lips so hard that I could taste copper, so I hung up without saying anything else to her. "Oh, God! James!"

It was nearly morning by the time he grudgingly let me go. I promised to be back, soon, but he merely grumbled back at me. F or such a prim and proper man, he could be such a child, sometimes.

The drive to the house was long. I dreaded seeing her, again, but I had been in no mood to argue with her and it was entirely James' fault.

Already annoyed and filled with anxiety, I knocked on the door, shifting from feet to feet as I waited. The door swung open moments later, revealing the blonde woman who no longer looked as if she was as put together as she did in the coffin room.

Gone was the bold, black dress and up-do. She was now clad in comfortable sweats with her hair tangled and frizzy. This was more like the woman James had first married.

"Thanks for coming," she mumbled. "The children are asleep. We'll talk in the kitchen."

I quietly followed her, entering the home I hadn't seen since that day five years ago. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Did you want something to drink?" She opened the fridge and my eyes widened when I saw the blood bags.

What on Earth?!

Were they for Holden? Or were my suspicions correct about her?

"Never mind… Is water alright?" she asked, quickly slamming the door shut.

I crossed my arms. "No. I don't want anything to drink. I want you to tell me what the Hell is going on and why you couldn't just say everything on the phone."

She sat down with a sigh. "After the Countess led me to Holden, she offered me something I couldn't refuse. I think I… I think I made a mistake. I thought I was doing him a favour, instead – "

"Wait! Slow down. You're not making any sense," I interrupted her. "What exactly did she offer you and what did you do to his man?"

"She infected me with an ancient virus, the same as the one she had given Holden. Anyone who has it is unable to age and requires blood as sustenance," she explained. "I used it on a child who was dying of measles. I… I didn't know that it would end up like this." She rubbed her face. "I didn't think that he'd take it and start recruiting people. I've created a monster…"

I shook my head in disbelief. "What you're telling me is that… you made a deal with the woman who kidnapped your son and _infected_ him with some sort of vampirism and you're completely fine with that, while you ostracise John and me?" The logic escaped me.

"She offered me the chance to be together with him forever! How could I refuse?" she replied as if it was the only answer.

"You're insane… You're _obsessed_ with him. Have you even thought of your _other child_ , as well? Not only did you forbid me from seeing her here, you're just abandoning her at her grandparents' place. What kind of mother are you?"

"That's not the point! I don't need you to tell me how to be a mother. I need you to help me with the boy – "

"The one you fucked up? You know what's going to happen to him and everyone he turns? They'll either die or start killing people!" By the way her face screwed up with guilt, I already knew that that had already happened. "There is nothing I could do to save them. I don't even know why you bothered calling me."

As I was about to leave, she quickly grabbed my wrist. Her grip was tight enough to make me wince in pain. When had she gotten so strong?

"No, I need you to help _me_ with what I've done. I need you to erase me from this world, everything that I was. All I want to do now is to be left alone with my boy without anyone finding out what happened," she said. "I know you can do it. You can just hack into all the government archives and – "

I scoffed. "No. _You_ fucked up. _You_ deal with the repercussions. I'm not going to help you get away with this crime. If I call the police, now, they'll arrest you. They'll test you in the labs and then experiment on you. Even then, I still _won't care_ because _you_ were the one who always preached about karma and consequences. Well, looks like it's finally coming about to you."

Wrenching my hand away, I ignored the throbbing pain and stomped away. The woman was crazy if she thought I was going to help her. I wasn't going to risk everything I worked so hard to accomplish for that piece of shit. She should be grateful that I wasn't actually planning to call the cops on her.

When I returned back to the hotel, I was in an absolutely foul mood. I stormed past Iris who looked as if she was worse for wear and if I was able to sympathise past my own anger, I would've stopped to ask her if anything was wrong. Instead, I headed straight for the bar.

Liz smiled at me. "It's been a while since I've seen you here."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Just a bit of sexy time before more drama.

Thank you **sandradee27, Cosmo39, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **sandradee27** :Thank you!

 **Guest** : I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to do with John and Madi's relationship… I had something in mind, but now I'm teetering towards something else… Eek! Don't worry about your spelling! I know perfectly well what you meant!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'm curious about what your theory is, but I also don't want it to clash with what I had planned, so I'm hoping to hear it once that chapter is out! I'm so stuck on the brother-sister relationship, right now. When I watched Cult, I couldn't stop thinking about what I could do if Madi was Kai's sister, but I'm also contemplating different options… I don't know what to do! At least I still have a lot of time to stew on that…

 **Cosmo39** : Thank you! I love him as James March as well, but no one will ever beat Tate for me! Kai was also quite nice… I think I like all the crazy ones… What does that say about me? Hmm…

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you! Yes! Things are slowly falling into place, but she doesn't know everything, yet.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

"Staying late, again?" Kaden played with a trinket on the shelf, moving things to places they didn't belong. "You've been staying way past office hours, lately. Is something wrong at home?"

I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes. "I don't know. I feel like things are slowly making sense, but I have more questions than ever…"

"Oh, great. Care to fill me in on it?" he asked, plopping down on the chair.

"I don't even know what to tell you or where to start. If I told anyone, they'll probably think I'm crazy," I told him. Who would believe that ghosts and vampires exist? I wouldn't have I not seen it myself.

He scoffed. "I already think you're insane. Nothing you say will surprise me, anymore."

"My sister in law is a vampire," I blurted out.

As expected, he burst out laughing. "Okay. That surprised me. Good one, there." When he saw the unmoving expression on my face, he froze. "Y-You were just joking, right? I mean… Vampires?"

"Just forget it, Kaden," I sighed. "I didn't want to talk about this, anyway. "

"Hey, I'm sorry. Talk to me about it. I'll listen and I won't laugh anymore. I swear," he promised.

Knowing that there was no one else outside of the Hotel that I'd trust with this information, I ended up telling him all about Alex and what she wanted me to do for her. Just like me, he thought it was a ridiculous request coming from the woman who had never shown an ounce of amiability towards me. I also told him about the blonde bitch who had been erasing my memories of the Hotel and how she was apparently a vampire as well.

Kaden seemed extremely intrigued by the aspect of magic powers and normally, I would be too, but since it's been messing with my head for the past five years, I couldn't find myself wanting anything to do with it.

"Despite it all, you look like you're doing pretty well," he commented, leaning in to give me a more scrutinising look over.

"Yeah… There's someone helping me through this," I replied. A smile tugged persistent on my lips at the thought of James comforting me every night. He always knew just how to make me forget my troubles.

Dark eyebrows rose high. "What is with that look? You finally found a man, haven't you?"

My face grew hot. "Something like that…" I mumbled. There was no point in denying it. I wasn't ashamed and seeing how we had been on and off for five years, it was just about time to mention him to other people.

After having him promise that he wasn't going to tell anyone, I kicked Kaden out of my office. The smug smile never once left his smug face.

I stayed in the small room for an hour later, making sure that the company was still in good shape before leaving. Everything felt a little brighter after I told him about what had become of my life. To have an outside voice, I felt like I was finally going to be able to accept what was happening to me.

Iris nodded her head when I smiled at her. She looked a little less tired and stressed out when I saw her, but it seemed as if there was still something she was hiding from me. I expected no less from the staff of the Hotel Cortez.

"I'd recommend that you don't head down to the bar, today," James told me when I entered his room. "An incompetent bartender has taken over for Ms. Taylor."

He helped me out of my coat, taking the opportunity to linger on the neckline of my white blouse. "And why is that?" I asked, breathlessly. "Where is she?"

"Her lover just died and she's quite upset, right now," he mumble, laying a soft kiss behind my ear.

Her lover?

I recalled a late night conversation with her some weeks ago. She had been completely smitten with that vulgar model who decided to reside here. He really hadn't made a god impression on me, but Liz truly looked happy with him. It was a tragedy that he was gone. "How did he die?" Had it been drug overdose? Suicide?

"Killed by a jealous lover," he replied.

I froze. "Not Liz – "

"Of course, not. My wife likes her toys and she doesn't like to share," he explained in a tone too casual for the topic.

"Your _wife_?!" I exclaimed. My mind went to the entries and I _did_ recall something regarding a wife. It had seemed so trivial at the time, but now, I was wondering what I was doing with a married man.

He quickly captured my lips, trying to keep me in place, while I squirmed around. "Now, now, my dear. Banish all those thoughts that are telling you to leave me. We really don't mean much to each other, anymore. Don't you remember that I'm already dead? She hasn't. Her marriage with that designer is soon. "

Right… Yes… I was shacking up with a ghost. How was I already beginning to forget all this already? He just felt so real all the time…

I squeezed m eyes shut, fighting against the throbbing headache. It must've been the bitch's fault. Every time I tried to recall a part of my past in the hotel, my head would feel as if it was about to explode.

"It'll come back in its own time," he reassured me, reading my unreadable mind. "Let us not dwell on it. There are better things to do." He pushed me down on to the table, shed our pants, and entered me from behind. It was hard and fast. My cries pierced through the room and probably most of the hotel.

We moved through each room of his suite before settling on his bed. I sighed contently, drawing lazy circles on his stomach.

"James?" I turned my head to look at him. "If she wasn't marrying another man, would she be the one here instead of me, right now?"

"Didn't I tell you that it is all inconsequential?" he replied, running a hand through my hair.

"I need to know if you're just using me or if you actually want me around." Because I was already irreversibly attached to him.

"Darling, I would not let you go, now, even if you wanted to leave," he told me with a smirk. "My feelings for her had long since died, along with the body I had been born with."

He hadn't fully answered my questions and I wanted to ask what his feelings for me were, but I was afraid of his reply. Would I still be able to stay with him if he viewed me as nothing more than an object to be owned?

His hand continued to stroke through my hair, lulling me into a slumber that revolved around him.

…

James looked at the young woman resting on his chest. He wasn't sure exactly when he no longer care for Elizabeth, but he was certain that it was directly related to the tiny brunette in his arms.

She made him feel strange, as if his chest would start hurting if he still had a beating heart. Regardless, the sense of exhilaration and anticipation made each day all the more exciting. He had something to look forward to, now. As much as he loved his hotel, it was still a glorified prison. He was restricted to one day a year to step out and experience the world he had left behind.

It was unfortunate that this year, she had not regained her memories of him or he would've taken her out as he always enjoyed doing. If anyone asked, he was never going to admit that he was obsessed with her.

"Go away," he grumbled at the addiction demon that was lurking in the shadows. "She's mine."

Its very presence mocked him.

Eventually, it disappeared back into the darkness, probably attracted to another junkie – most likely Sally or whoever she happened to lure into her trap.

He didn't know when exactly the demon appeared in his hotel or whether it was somehow created by all the sins accumulated in the many rooms and halls. One day, it just appeared. It had been a day shortly after Madi's arrival. He wondered if it could possibly be his attachment to her that attracted its attention, but it never spoke, so it wasn't as if he could question it.

He pushed the wretched him away from his mine and settled back into his other thoughts, until morning when he was forced to let her go. It was going to be a long ten hours, so he made sure to make his mark on her first.

She left with a mischievous smile on her face that matched his. Oh, that minx… She was asking for trouble.

He was in a jolly mood as he walked around his hotel, checking on what everyone was doing. He noted that there was an unusual amount of strangers inside. They came in hoards with boards and crowbars. What on Earth…?

Those people were here to destroy years of hard work! They were here to destroy his _legacy!_

He stormed into Elizabeth's suite and found her with the wretched designer. It must've been that bastard's fault! Drake wanted his wife and his hotel. If he wasn't careful, that man was also going to try to steal his Madi!

"Who the Hell are you and how dare you just walk in here!" Will Drake roared at the sudden intrusion.

James gave him absolutely no attention s he went straight for the Countess who regarded him with cold eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, brushing away the other man who was trying to seize. The attempt was feeble and not even worth any acknowledgement.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied, smiling at him. Once upon a time, he would feel his heart race because of that, but not anymore.

"Those people are destroying my hotel!" he shouted, clenching his fist. "When I passed, I expected you to preserve its greatness!"

" _Your_ hotel?" Drake repeated in disbelief, seemingly the only part that he caught in the sentence. "I don't know who you think you are, but you need to leave, _immediately_."

James finally turned to grab the infuriating man's lapel. "Listen here. Leave like the vermin you are before I make sure that you _never_ leave!"

"James… I will speak to you on the matter later. I only wish to spend time with my future husband, right now," Elizabeth softly told him. Her hand on his arm was like icy fire. It burned him to the core and he found himself flinching away.

He let go of Drake and disappeared right before their eyes. Elizabeth could deal with the repercussions of that. If she was going to give that useless piece of flesh free reign on his hotel, then he wasn't going to make it easy for them.

The construction workers were still talking about what they were going to do, so he began to take random tools and doodled on their plans. They were little mischiefs that could easily be blamed on a co-worker.

For the entire day, he didn't let up. He even recruited some of the other spirits to play. It all became a game of who could outdo the other. Eventually, the workers left frustrated and bickering – throwing around accusations. No doubt some of them weren't going to be employed any longer.

Snickering to himself, he checked his pocket watch and was delighted to find that Madi was about to return. What a joyous day!

He hummed happily in his suite, decorating the dining room with candles and roses. He had Ms. Evers prepare some juicy filet mignon and a bottle of his finest, aged wine.

"It's so lovely that you're in a good mood, Mr. March," Ms. Evers commented. "Ever since that woman came into your life, you were never quite the same. I truly missed this side of you."

"Ah, yes!" he heartily agreed. "My marriage with Elizabeth had a good run, but she is in the past, now. I've long since moved on."

"Wonderful!" she beamed. "Shall I clean myself and make myself more presentable for you?"

He gave her a confused look. "If you'd like, but don't you have work elsewhere? It'd do you no good to get all dirty again after cleaning." HE smoothed down his moustache and made sure that his bowtie was straight.

Anything short of perfection was simply unacceptable.

"I… I – uh…" Ms. Evers looked uncertainly at him. She thought that the set up had been for the two of them. It wasn't the time for his dinner with the Countess. Why else would he be preparing all this?

"Never mind. If you'd like to clean up, you may. Who am I to stop you?" he mused. "Besides, Madi shall be returning soon and I know how the two of you don't get along too well."

She felt her dead heart sink.

The happiness evaporated in an instant. Of course, how could she be so foolish? Mr. March had never cast her a second glance. This time was no different. Sure, she wasn't pretty or young. She wasn't blonde and blue-eyed. S he wasn't rich, but she was loyal. Why couldn't he see that? She had been there for so long when all of his so-called _friends_ have long since abandoned him.

Fighting back tears, she quickly dismissed herself and scurried back into her own room, leaving him completely oblivious to the emotional damage he had caused.

He hummed a merry tune, running his hand through his hair to make sure that no strand was out of place. Splendid! Everything was perfect.

A soft knock on the door made him practically skip. She was here! He could recognize that delightful sound anywhere.

He swung the door open and kept his smile tamed. The last thing he wanted to do was look like maniac and scare her away. "Good evening, my lovely."

She smiled back at him, walking into his embrace. She smelled heavenly. If only he could somehow capture her scent and put it into a bottle. "Something smells really good, James."

Oh, he completely agreed. With his nose still buried in her hair, he led her to the table, lit only be the mildly scented candles.

"Did you – " She spun to have a better look at him. "This is gorgeous! Thank you!"

"Certainly! Only the best for you," he stated, scooting the chair back for her.

She gladly sat down on the plush seating, sighing when he laid a kiss on her cheek as he lifted the closh. Her lips lifted into a grin. "Looks delicious! I'm starving!"

They spoke about their days as they ate. Neither did anything very exciting, but he noted that she was holding something back. Her eyes would stray and grow unfocused. It was occupying her thoughts and that would not do. Nothing should distract her away from him.

"What's bothering you, dear?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm just being silly."

He nodded his head, but didn't stop staring at her. Perhaps he would be able to alleviate her troubles later.

When he began to tug at her clothes later, however, she pushed his hand way. "Can we just cuddle, tonight?" She buried her face into his chest, holding him as if he was her life line.

How was he to deny her when she was like this? He was just going to have to check the diary to see if she mentioned anything in there earlier.

He laid there with his arms around her, fully aware that she was still awake. If only she would accept his offer to ease her mind. Then, they'd both be having a good time.

As he sulked, he felt her shift and let out a soft sigh.

"Tell me what's wrong," he urged her, again.

She was silent for a moment before finally conceding. "It's everything. I mean… I like being here with you, but it doesn't' negate the fact that everything else is still horribly wrong. What is that bitch planning exactly? She dragged Holden into this madness. Why?"

He ran his hand through her hair as he very much liked to do. "She is an unpredictable specimen, but she is most likely trying to make up for her own failures." He told her of the child in Room 33. The deformity was quite gruesome. If she wasn't so attached to the tiny alien, he would've gotten rid of it long ago. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. Unfortunately, he knew that if he did just that, she would no doubt raze this hotel to the ground just to spite him.

"That's actually kind of… sad…" she mumbled. A mother's love was great and she could only imagine what it must've felt like to birth a child who would never grow – who would never be able to be anything but the monstrosity that came from a failed love. "But it doesn't excuse her for what she has done and is probably still doing. All the kids who were ripped away from their families… She has no right!"

He smirked, suppressing a chuckle as she frowned. How adorable… She was like an angry, little puppy. Ah… She'd make a precious pet…

"I want to have a talk with her about everything she'd done to all of us, but…" She bit her lips. "I don't want to end up losing my memories, again. I don't… I don't want to forget you."

He kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to forget me, either."

And if he had anything to do about it, it was never going to happen, again. This was _his_ hotel. It was time to take back control.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I'm leaving on a trip soon, so I'm going to try to write and type up a few more chapters to queue up for when I'm gone, but no promises! There will still be a couple more weeks until then. Just wanted to warn you guys now in case I forget it later!

Thank you **PsychoBeachGirl88, Vivi H88, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Oh… Good point… I kind of forgot about that, but now I'm thinking about what would happen if James got Madi pregnant… I think everyone hated Alex. She was just so ARGH! Also, John might be MIA for a little while, not sure when or if I'll put in another excerpt from his point of view. Who knows?

 **PsychoBeachGirl88** : Haha! I completely agree. I'm curious what would happen if I wrote about Madi and John together and not just in a short diary entry. Hmm…

 **Guest:** Thank you! Some people actually like Alex? That is news to me! I feel as if all her redeeming features (Her love for her children is trumped by her obsession of Holden. Her desire to save a child from the hospital, only to use an unknown virus to turn him into a murderous monster. And that's only a couple examples!).

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thanks so much!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and follow this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

The hotel was under full renovation. Walls were being knocked down and new ones were being erected. The sound was making my head throb. I was so tempted to return to my house, but one night was all it took for me to realise that that place wasn't home, anymore. It was an empty storage unit with memories of a life that was no longer mine.

"I'll have them stop! This is ridiculous! How dare they disturb us with their ruckus?!" James raged as he paced the room.

I sighed, putting down the bottle of pain killers. "Don't worry about it. There's not much you can do. Will Drake is the owner, now." I had finally finished reading the rest of my journal, but it was still difficult to accept that James was a ghost. At least, there was no chance of me ever ending up accidentally pregnant even if I wasn't on birth control. If he was still virile, I knew without a doubt that I'd be as big as a whale by now with several children already. That man was absolutely relentless.

Every morning, I'd end up sore and boneless. Sometimes, I'd wake up with the bindings still around my wrists and having him release me was a bit of a pain. He'd make the most of the situation for himself before eventually letting me go. What a jerk…

He stared devilishly at me before biting down.

My back arched and I struggled futilely against the leather bindings. Where did he even get these? "Let me out of here, James! I'm going to k-k-kill you!" I silently cursed myself for stuttering.

He smirked. "You can't kill what is already dead, my dear." He licked a nipple teasingly. "You'll realise eventually that there is no getting rid of me."

I sighed, wondering why I put up with him. This always ended up happening. He was ridiculous and never listened to a word I said. He drove me crazy, but it was impossible for me to hate him.

There were little things that he'd do to make my heart flutter. He'd make it difficult for me to think. The only thing was… I didn't know how he thought of me. Underneath all the teasing, I found him extremely difficult to read. Was there any chance that I affected him the way he affect me or was that too much to ask for?

When I told Kaden of my dilemma, he laughed at me. No matter what he said, he was of no help. Why did I even think otherwise?

I let out a loud yelp when his hand came smacking down on my bottom. "Your mind is wandering. That is no allowed."

I bit my lips, feeling my body shudder as he groaned, pumping faster and harder, until he spilled deep inside me.

Trying to contact John was also going horribly. He was the one I always went to if I had any problems. Now that he had hidden himself away, I didn't know who to talk turn to when I needed help. Liz was also out of the question since James just told me that she had lost the one she loved. To honest, I should probably go find her and see if she wanted some moral support. I had been so wrapped up in myself that I barely gave her situation any though. How selfish was I?

When I went downstairs, I found her absent from the bar. There was a blonde woman there with messy eyeliner and a cigarette between her fingers. The scent nearly made me turn on my heels, but I had to ask if she knew where Liz went.

"Hi," I greeted her, trying to keep a straight face when she blew a ring of smoke into my face.

"Did you want a drink? It's the tap or water," she grumbled.

"No, thank you," I replied, glancing at all the unwashed glasses that lined the back table. "I was just wondering if you knew where Liz is. Is she alright?"

The woman shrugged. "She's in her room if you want to ask her yourself. I'm not paid to be anyone's messenger." She mumbled under her breath before sighing and giving me the room number. "Go away, now."

What a strange woman…

I went up the hotel and gently knocked on Liz's door. After a minute, it opened and the tall woman stood before me. "Madison, what are you doing here? It… It's really not a good time, I – " Her bloodshot eyes were watering as she tried to get herself together.

I bit my lips. "I heard what happened from James," I quietly said. "I'm really sorry about… Is there anything I can do? Do you want to go out anywhere?"

She sadly shook her head. "Thanks for coming, girl, but I just want to be alone, right now. I'll see you later."

I gave her a tight hug before complying with her request. The poor woman looked as if she was about to fall apart at any time. I hoped that she wasn't going to end up doing anything stupid.

When I told James of my worries, he didn't seem to care, at all. He merely laughed and waved away my concerns. That was frustrating. Couldn't he tell that I genuinely feared for what may happen to her? After seeing John nearly die and Holden having gone missing for s long, I was afraid to lose anyone else in my life.

He chuckled against my neck. 'If she dies here, she'll still be in the hotel. Nothing will change."

I pushed him away. "That's not true. _You're_ the one who told me that spirits can't leave here."

"And that's fine," he stated. "When have you ever seen her leave the hotel? This is her sanctuary. She will only ever feel safe as herself here, so fear not, my lovely."

His words didn't comfort me, at all, but how could I possibly blame him? He had been dead for nearly a century. He was used to the life – or rather – this way of existing. Who was I to talk to to understand the feelings that were raging within me? Kaden? Definitely not. I didn't need him to actually start questioning my sanity and I also couldn't keep giving him my baggage. He had nothing to do with this.

If only John was here…

"When you're here with me, I don't want you to think of anyone else. It is just us." He brushed my hair back and kissed my eyebrow. "Even when everything is gone and everyone has left, there will still be us."

His words brought a shiver down my spine. I really liked him, but was I willing to eventually die here and be stuck in this rusty hotel?

I sighed, bringing my lips to his, feeling him smirk as he deepened the contact. He knew exactly what he did to me.

That night, I lay in his arms, unable to sleep because John was still stuck in the loony bin. Why did he have to be an idiot? Not only did he commit himself, he also decided not to see any visitors. How was I to tell him that his wife was the actual lunatic?

"Go to sleep." James ran his hand through my hair, combing away the relentless thoughts running through my head.

"I can't," I mumbled back, burying my face into his chest. "I can't stop thinking about John. What if something happens to him? What if they won't ever let him out? He can't stay there forever. He's not crazy. He – "

James hushed me. "Do you want me to help you go to sleep, again?"

My face flushed, remembering all the times he had offered and I accepted. This time, I shook my head, knowing that with his "help," sleep wasn't going to come for another few hours. "No, I'm going to go back there tomorrow."

He groaned. "Haven't I told you not to worry about it? He'll be back, soon."

He sounded so sure, but I couldn't see how, unless he had intel from inside there, which was impossible.

The sun came up without me catching a wink of sleep, but James remained in the bed with me, running his hands everywhere. It was actually quite endearing for him to do so. It couldn't be very fun for him to stay here all night with nothing to do.

…

James had no problem holding her all night long. As he subtly explored her body, he fantasized what they could've been doing instead. He was not ashamed when he pressed his twitching member against her stomach.

At one point, while she was no doubt lost in thought, he found his release. He groaned into her hair, hiding the content sigh. Oh, if she only knew what he actually wanted to do to her – every little thing from the darkest corners of his mind.

While she was out at work, he idly stroked himself, imagining her hot mouth wrapped around him. His hand pulled roughly at her hair until she cried in pain and begged him to stop, but no, she was going to stop when he wanted her to stop.

He muffled her protests; thrusting into her throat and watching it bulge with his length. Her hands futilely pushed against him. He loved the sound. It made him feel alive, again.

With one swift movement, he slid out of her mouth, had her on her back, and slammed himself into her other opening. She screamed his name, digging her nails into his back as he took his pleasure.

Each breath he took was filled with her. It filled his lungs and clouded his mind. He couldn't have enough of it. She was his drug. He needed more…

Running his hand across her neck, blood began to stream down.

She gurgled in shock, holding her hands to her throat, trying her best to hang on to life, while he continued to pound into her.

His sweet Madi…

If she died here, he'd be able to re-enact this every night.

With a sigh, he threw his head back, his body convulsed on the bed, while he buried his face into her pillow.

If she knew what he wanted to do to her, she'd hate him forever. She'd run away screaming and never come back, but he wasn't going to allow her to do that. He knew, however, that if she killed her, now, she wouldn't even speak to him after death. They'd be in a terrible stalemate where neither of them would be having any fun, but perhaps there was a chance for him to convince her otherwise. It was just going to take time and he had plenty of that.

He was just going to have to be patient.

And he was a very patient fellow.

"Mr. March? Mr. March!"

He didn't move even when Ms. Evers came in to clean the room. She had seen him naked many times before. She had been with him for so long that he was sure she knew everything about him. She was like the mother he never had.

Thinking about his mother made his blood boil. She was nothing but a cocksucker. After his father died, she bounced around from one unlucky bastard to the next, taking their fortune while their pants were wrapped around their ankles. He swore to himself that that was never going to be him, so he began his quest.

The hotel was where he slowly purged the world of its sins, but of course, he fell for a pretty face and ended up like this. It was as if he was bound to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. He didn't want to be like all those foolish men his mother seduced.

But what was he to do when it seemed as if he was unable to untangle himself from her soft flesh.

His sweet Madi…

If he didn't do something about it soon, she would also betray him. As soon as her brother finished his tasks, he was going to make sure she was never going to have a chance to destroy him.

"Mr. March, would you like me to prepare your monthly dinner with the Countess, today?" she asked, dusting his lamps, while he slowly broke away from his reverie.

He had completely forgotten about the dinner. Was it really that time of the month, again? HE wasn't even sure if he wanted to do it anymore. It was such a hassle trying to strike up a conversation with a woman who clearly had no interest in him. Perhaps he could cancel it.

Yes, that was a good idea. She no longer had any interest in him and he was comfortable to say that he, too, had no interest in her.

"Prepare the meals," he told Ms. Evers. This was going to be the last one. After, his nights would be occupied by his brunette.

Everything was going to fall into place.

…

I was told by a very agitated Ms. Evers that James didn't want me in his room, tonight. He was engaged in his monthly dinner with his wife. I didn't know that he still had those. With the way he spoke, I had been so sure that he wasn't romantically involved with her anymore. Was I being naïve or was I thinking too deep into this? Just because he was having dinner with his wife – or ex-wife, whatever! – didn't mean that they were fooling around behind my back. They could just be friends.

I sighed as I headed back out to get John. What were we even? For the past five years, we had some strange relationship where my brain was being scrambled by the blonde bitch he was now dining with.

What if they were both playing me…?

 _Beeep!_

I jumped and quickly took my foot off the brakes. This was not the time. John was my brother and should be my number one priority. I was going to have to deal with James later.

When I arrived at the institute, the same receptionist was there. I was given a head shake and told to leave. I tried my best to reason with her, but an orderly was already stepping towards me.

" _Please_ , can't you understand how worried I am? Just page him or call him or whatever. Let me see a glimpse of him and I'll go or… Or… can you give him a note for me?" I looked into my purse for pen and paper, but only managed to find an old parking ticket and eyeliner. "Here. Give this to him. _Please_."

She sighed and took the piece of paper. After giving the note a quick scan, she said, "I'll give it to him. Otherwise, there's really nothing I can do for you."

"Thank you." I shot her a weak smile. That was probably the most I was going to get from her.

I went back to my car, wondering how much longer he was going to be stuck there. Was my note going to be enough to shake him out of whatever phase this was? Why did he do this to me?

Didn't he know that he was my rock? If I had any troubles, he was always there to help me. What was I going to do if he was stuck there forever?

What if… What if I was actually the reason for his actions? Did he do all this to get away from me?

I had been too clingy. Maybe I should never have gone to the hotel. Ever since I stayed there, my life became some sort of horror show. I was introduced to all sorts of things that I didn't understand or even thought exist. I was pushed into the arms of a man with questionable intentions. No, not even a man… A _ghost_.

I should go home to clear my mind. James wouldn't miss me while he had dinner with his wife – the woman who had taken my memories. Thinking about it now, it actually made no sense for me to be with him. He was no god for me. He couldn't be trusted.

I was going to have to tell him this tomorrow. I had to break this off before I was going to end up another victim of that hotel. I was really going to miss everyone there, but it had to be done.

Life would return back to normal and I was going to throw myself back into work. That was the best thing to do, especially when John wasn't staying there anymore.

I had to take back control of my life.

I had to let go of this happy ending fairy tale that was never going to happen. This was reality. Happy endings didn't exist.

I had to –

 _Beeep!_

 _Screeeech!_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

As a reminder, I might not be able to post next week on Sunday because I'll be on my trip, but I'll try to post as soon as possible!

Thank you **Vivi H88, kai-baekyun98, belladu57** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan, XO KitKat** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you! I hope you liked this one!

 **Guest:** I really wanted to make the demon fit in and give it a bigger role. I also love writing about James and Madi together. It's just so fun!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Am I making James too out of character? Please, tell me if I am. And yes, I decided to give this Madi a little more backbone. I felt as if she needed a bit of change this story. Also, Tristan's death surprised me. The Countess really had no reason to kill him other than the fact that she wasn't willing to properly let him go – or perhaps she didn't want to see someone who looked like Rudolph loving another woman, again. Either way, her selfish jealous just rubs me the wrong way. Regarding the Addiction Demon… Umm… Well… It's too late to change it, now… Ahahaha… Oops!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you!

 **XO KitKat** : Thanks!

 **belladu57:** Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourite and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

It was as if someone had thrown me into a blender. My ears were ringing. I felt as if I was about to lose my lunch. Why was everything spinning?

"Hey! Hey!"

I clenched my eyes shut. The muffled shouting and banging was making my headache worse.

What happened?

"There's someone in there! Help me get her out!"

My eyes struggled back open and for the first time, I realised that I was upside down. I reached over to the seatbelt and tied to unlock it, but it was stuck. I tugged, pushed, and pulled until frustration took over and I let out a scream.

Why was I upside down? What the Hell happened?

"Miss? Miss! Calm down. I'm here. We're going to get you out, okay?" I looked over to the cracked window to see a man with glasses, lying on his side. He gave me a weak smile and looked nervously to the right. "It's going to be okay."

He was trying, but I didn't feel reassured, at all. I continued to tug futilely at the strap that kept me stuck to the seat. The airbag was half deflated below me, pitiful and useless.

I reached over to the purse that had been thrown around and managed to grab my phone. Shakily, I texted John. Maybe he could see it later.

"Shit! We have to hurry!" The man hissed to someone else. "It's leaking everywhere. Where are the firefighters? Why aren't they here, yet?"

Leaking?

What was leaking?

I took a deep breath and finally noticed the overwhelming scent of gasoline slowly penetrating into the vehicle.

No…

I didn't want to die like this. I wasn't ready to die, yet!

I renewed my efforts to get out of my confines, but the more I struggled, the tighter it became. "Help… Help me!" I shouted.

The man came back with a bat. "Cover your head!"

I did as I was told and used my arms as a shield. In the next second, the entire car shook as he smashed through the window. I could feel some of the shards graze my skin, but the pain was nearly non-existent. I was too frightened. My mind was on something more dire.

He took off his shirt, wrapped it around his fists and punched out the remaining pieces of glass before laying down the shirt on top of the remaining shards. He reached in, trying to help me undo the blasted thing, but with a curse, he shuffled back out.

"Don't go…" I whimpered as I tried to grab his arm, but he caught my hand with a comforting squeeze.

"I'll be back. I'm only going to go get a knife to cut you free." I watched him disappear, again, taking my hope with him.

As I waited, listening to him shout at anyone who had stayed behind to help, there was a sudden explosion that made me scream in terror.

Smoke flooded the small compartment. I choked as the fumes entered my lungs.

I clutched my phone close to me, wishing that by some miracle, he would reply back, but the small device remained silent and still.

As I hung hopelessly, I could still vaguely hear the kind stranger shout for help. From afar, the sound of sirens was finally coming closer and closer. I wanted o thank him for what he had done, but with the blood in my head and the smoke in my lungs, I could already feel my consciousness beginning to slip away.

It was kind of funny. When I was younger, I always thought I was going to die of something like this. I had been a reckless driver who didn't have much regards for life. As I grew older and more mature, it became more like a silly passing thought made by a teenager.

The flames crackled and began to lick at my skin.

I cast one last look at the dark screen and then, I let it fall from my hands.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I am so sorry this chapter is so incredibly short and I won't be replying to reviewers until I get back, but I hope you liked this chapter. Forgive me for typos.

Also! Happy birthday **anonymouscsifan**!

Thank you for reviewing, favouriting, and following.

Please, leave a review if you did!


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

It felt as if I was floating in darkness. It was cold and lonely. When I opened my eyes, there was nothing there. I tried to move, but I had no grasp on anything.

It took everything I had just to reorient myself. "H-Hello?" I called out, but the lack of any acoustics was unsettling. It was almost as if I was trapped in a completely soundproof chamber. I had never felt so alone – so isolated from everything.

"Is anyone there?" I shouted, hoping that someone- anyone – was here with me. "Hello? I don't know where I am!"

I tried to awkwardly swim my way forward, but I really couldn't tell if I was getting anywhere. I even wished that I was making a fool of myself because that would mean that someone was actually there to laugh at me.

" _Please_ , I need help!" I continued to grasp for attention. Even my own voice was better than nothing. With only my thoughts, I felt as if I was going crazy. How long have I even been here?

It didn't feel that long, but already, the grip of anxiety was making me begin to hyperventilate. This place felt wrong… _So wrong…_

"John?" I sobbed, gulping in deep breaths. "J-James?"

There was no one there.

I was alone. I was so utterly alone. Why was I even here?

I stopped flailing and went back into my thoughts.

The last thing I remembered was being kicked out of the hospital again. I was angry at John for leaving me like this. I hadn't really been paying attention to where I was going. The road had been nothing but a blur. I moved the steering wheel like a robot, my mind completely elsewhere and my body on autopilot.

I hadn't been watching where I was going…

Was I dead? Did I hit something? Did I hit _someone_?

I hoped not. No one else deserved to die because of my careless driving. This probably would've happened sooner if John wasn't my brother. He was the one who always kept me in line. And I wasn't going to blame this on him because he decided to be an absolute moron and commit himself or anything… It wasn't as if I was only there because I wanted to see him and tell him his wife was a lying, conniving bitch or anything. No, of course not…

Sarcasm aside, I really, _really_ hoped that no one else was injured or killed. That would just be the icing on the cake, having that on my dead conscience…

I sighed. This was probably my punishment – Hell for all the things I've done. Wonderful… If this was eternity, I really couldn't think of anything worse. There was absolutely no stimulation. I could practically feel my brain cells exploding in my head.

I laid there in the darkness, trying to see if perhaps I could get some sleep, but none came. Of course, not… James was a spirit. As far as I knew, he hadn't slept since he died some ancient time ago.

"Let me out of here!" I screamed, again. And when I started, I couldn't stop. I filled the silence with my voice, until I could speak no more. The tears came next, streaming down my face. My emotions were out of control. My entire body was out of control. It felt as if I wasn't me, anymore.

 _"Madi…"_

I froze when I heard someone call to me. I waited with bated breath for it to come back, but there was nothing. I had imagined the whole thing.

Just as I fully convinced myself that I was alone, again, the voice came back. There were no defining characteristics. It was barely there. Perhaps it _wasn't_ there, but I wanted to believe that there was something else here with me.

"Hello? I'm here! Where are you?" I asked, hoping that they could hear me.

I waited desperately for the reply.

 _"Madi…" came the sigh._

I hadn't imagined the whole thing! There was someone close by!

"I'm here! Can you hear me?" I turned my head around, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything. "Hello? I'm here? _I'm here!_ "

Don't take this away from me… I _need_ to know that I wasn't going crazy.

 _"Sweet Madi…"_

Something cold brushed against me, making me gasp in shock.

What was that?

"H-Hello?" There was less certainty in my voice, now. Whatever touched me wasn't human. It was like nothing I had felt before, but it was everything the voice portrayed – something that was _barely there_.

The sensation returned, slithering up my body, until two glowing red orbs met mine. What was this thing? A demon? "What are you?" I whispered, reaching out a hand to touch it, but it quickly recoiled back. "No, wait! Don't go. Stay, _please_."

I didn't care what it was as long as it was going to keep me company.

I waited anxiously as it came back, wrapping slowly around me like a smoky snake. It stopped in front of me, gazing with its eerie red eyes. "I won't hurt you," I quietly told it, reaching once more with my hands.

This time, the creature remained still even when my fingers wiggled in its smoky form. It was so strange.

I let out a small giggle with it moved with me. It was actually pretty cute, until it grinned. Sharp teeth bared and made a chomping motion at my finger.

I quickly retract the digits in shock. The grin never faltered as I glared at it.

" _Madi…"_ It leaned forward and rubbed against my face.

I pushed it away with a small grin of my own. It was like an overgrown pet.

As I lazily stroked its head, talking about nothing in particular, I was feeling a lot better. The company wasn't the best. All it could say was my name, but it was definitely better than a lot of other people I knew. "John is a stupid face," I sighed. "A-and now… I'll never see him again. He might never know that I've died. That's kind of sad… And _James_ …" Where did I even begin with him?

"I still don't know what to think about that bastard. I can't tell if he actually has feelings for me or if he's been playing me the entire time.

"I guess… I guess it doesn't even matter anymore. I just hope that n one thought I ran away. You know what? I don't think anyone will know I died, at all! John has always been my emergency contact." This was suddenly really depressing – more so than before. Was this what everyone had to experience after they died?

" _Madi…"_ it seemed to whine, nudging my chin.

I sighed. "I'm fine... Just wallowing in a bit of self-pity. I'm allowed that, aren't I? I mean, I just died." Did everyone have a shadow companion as well or was I special?

When I stopped moving my hand, it whined again and kept nudging me for attention.

I smiled.

I hoped that I was the only one who had a shadow companion. I liked to think that I was special. This was my very own shadow friend.

I closed my eyes and sighed, finally complying with its whines by stroking its head absentmindedly until I was suddenly assaulted by the sensation of every cell in my body screaming in pain.

It was agony I had never felt before. Every part of me was hurting. Why? Wasn't I dead already? Why was everything hurting, now?

I gasped, looking wildly at the blurry red eyes. "H-Help…"

It was motionless as it continued to calmly nuzzle me. If it was trying to make me feel better, it really wasn't working. My insides were on fire, waging war against itself.

"What's… h-happening t-t-to me?" I bit out, hoping that it could give me some answers. Was I to feel this every second for an eternity?

I felt my body begin to shake. "No more…" I mumbled. "No more…"

" _Madi…"_

It was so painful that I couldn't even scream. My body was seizing up. No more… No more… No more…

 **"** _ **WAKE UP!"**_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I am so sorry this chapter is so short, late, and I won't be replying to reviews until I get back, but I hope you liked this chapter. Forgive me for typos.

Thank you for reviewing, favouriting, and following.

Please, leave a review if you did!


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 **"WAKE UP!"**

And then, it was gone. The pain disappeared as if it had never been there. I was alone once more in darkness with the only sound being my own heavy breathing and the beat of my racing heart.

I felt drained – limbless as I laid on something solid. For a split second, everything felt normal, again. It was almost as if I was back in the hotel room, slowly waking up and eventually realising that I was going to be late for work. Kaden would call and shout. I knew that he was just worried about me, but he was such a mother hen. That had been a good time.

"I know you're awake."

With a gasp, my eyes snapped open and an unfamiliar face greeted me. I let out a scream, pushing him away in fear. As soon as he stepped back, I jumped out of bed and was nearly at the door when a large hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me back.

"No! Let me go!" I screamed, thrashing against the much larger form. Every instinct in my body was telling me to run.

"Quiet," the man hissed. His voice was like thick velvet – low and smooth.

I continued to shout and scream, until he threw me back on the bed. I knew that I must've looked like a frightened rabbit by now, trembling in front of his dark, looming form, but who could blame me? I thought I had just died and now, I was in some strange house with a very intimidating stranger.

"Stop that," he snapped and I completely froze, staring at him with wide eyes. "You have questions. Ask."

"Do I know you?" the question came out before I could stop it. Once I wasn't about to jump out of my skin, I found that there was something familiar about him, but I couldn't quite place the reason why.

I was certain that I would remember if I saw someone like him. He was tall, dark, and handsome with an aura of danger that made every hair on my body raise on end. I thoroughly felt like a prey staring at the eyes of the predator that was about to pounce on its meal.

"Not as you are, now," he mumbled. His dark eyes burned into my own. It felt as if he could see right through me.

I muttered a curse, looking away. He told me to ask questions, but it felt as if he was going to give me no answers. And people thought women were complicated! All the men in my life spoke in riddles! "Alright… How about… What happened to me? Did the car crash happen? Did I imagine the entire thing?"

"Yes, it happened. I retrieved you after the car exploded. You were dead before I brought you back to the living," he stated as if it was just another normal day – as if he hadn't just stated that I was _dead_.

"And… how exactly did you manage to "bring me back?"" I asked, checking my body for any injuries, but there was none. There was absolutely no evidence of me ever being in any sort of accident and a car exploding would definitely leave its mark.

He smirked, kneeling down on the bed. His face was inches away from my own. When I saw his teeth, I noticed the elongated canines and let out a cry, scrambling backwards.

The smirk faded, replaced by a scoff. "Get used to this. You can't be scared of yourself forever."

My mind raced. What did he mean by that? What had he done to me?

He reached into the mini fridge and threw me a small bag. "Get comfortable. This will take a while to explain."

…

Ever since he had lost her, he had kept to himself, managing his business from afar. He didn't want to risk getting close to anyone else. Losing his wife had been hard enough, losing her had nearly broken him. His heart would not be able to handle another devastation like that.

Once his small bar grew and became a chain establishment, he was able to further distance himself and began travelling. Times were changing for the better. True, discrimination was still prominent, but he could tell that he was no longer viewed as a worthless creature amongst ivory skin. His fortune and success also gave him a higher status amongst the people.

In his travels, he experienced different cultures and food. He also met people who were unimaginably kind and people who detest him simply for existing. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and something he'd end up doing again and again, but nothing could fill the void that had been created by the tiny brunette who had always tried so hard to survive, only to lose it to a man who didn't deserve it.

It was during these moments that he had been caught unaware by a man who had slid into his booth. His senses had already been inebriated by the numerous glasses of whiskey and his thoughts were swimming with the image of her dead, half-burnt body. The smell of her flesh would forever be ingrained in his head.

"You're looking lonely," the stranger said.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus it on the man's face, but his vision was blurry. It didn't help that a wide-brimmed hat was also blocking his view.

"W-What do you want?" He tried to keep his slur to a minimum and in his mind, he did a perfect job, but he really couldn't be certain. His judgment was less than reliable, at the moment.

The lips of the stranger curled into a wide grin. "Just thought you'd like some company. I know a lonely man when I see one."

He downed the rest of his whiskey and stumbled to his feet, following the mysterious man into the streets.

Once inside the fancy hotel, he slammed the man against the closed door and crushed their lips together.

It had been too long since he had been intimate or remotely even close to another person. His body was starving for attention.

"Go eager…" the man purred, reaching down into his pants and gripping the hard length, pumping it a few times until he felt as if he was going to spill before the fun even started.

He closed his eyes, his mind beginning to wander to the past once more. The hands on him were more claw-like. The face of the man he hated and lusted for appeared in his mind. The body was finally bare and pressing against his own.

As their passion reached its peak, he let out a groan of pain when something pierced his neck. He didn't know what was happening, but the pain, the pleasure, and the alcohol finally managed to knock him out.

When he woke up, he was a different man. He wasn't even sure if he was a man, anymore. The stranger had disappeared, leaving him to figure out his new peculiarities on his own. The strange tingle of the sun; The insatiable lust for sustenance that could only be provided through bloodshed; The inability to age. It was a lifestyle he had difficulty adjusting to, but it was only because of this that he was able to see her, again.

He had returned and stayed in America for the next quarter of a century. It was shortly passed the second millennia that he was introduced to computers and anti-viruses. Phoenix Protection. With a name like that, he couldn't possibly not look it up and when he did, he found an image that made his heart skip. The familiar face of the late, beautiful Madison looked back at him.

It was then that he decided to find her. It took him months of hard work, but he eventually found her address after one of her family members had gone missing. From then, he kept tabs on her.

Regretfully, he kept to the shadows even as her life began to spiral out of control. He had watched her cry and watched her despair before disappearing into the hotel where he knew that he would be trespassing. He could sense that there were others of his like in there and decided to stay just far enough away to keep them from approaching him.

Unfortunately, in doing so, he would constantly lose track of her and one day, he got to her just as she had been engulfed by flames. The memories returned to him in full force.

Not this time.

He wasn't about to let her die, again.

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I am so sorry this chapter is so short and I won't be replying to reviews until I get back, but I hope you liked this chapter. Forgive me for typos. Next chapter should be back to normal! Thank you for all of your patience –

And thank you for reviewing, favouriting, and following.

Please, leave a review if you did!


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Morgan.

The man who had skin the colour of smooth, dark chocolate was named Morgan. It still felt as if I knew him, but he gave me no real indications supporting my suspicions. Whenever I approached the topic, he'd speak in riddles, leaving me more confused with each reply.

He did, however, finally explain how he managed to save my life. Right after the car exploded, he had carried me away and gave me his blood. The thought of drinking something like that disgusted me for all of five seconds before I realised that the small bag I was sipping was the same coppery, red substance.

"Why me? Why did you save me?" I asked, putting down the drained bag and wishing that there was more. It was as if there was an insatiable hunger within me.

He closed his eyes with a sigh. When he opened them, again, they looked tired as if he had aged ten years in ten seconds. "Never mind that. Be grateful that you _are_ alive. I haven't seen such poor driving since cars first became popular. Not only could you have gotten someone killed, I almost – " He cut himself off, letting out a frustrated growl.

"D-does that mean I didn't? No one died because of me?" I asked him, looking nervously into his eyes. I was still hopeful that no one died because of me.

He shrugged. "Not when I was there," he replied.

It made me feel a little better, but he was so hopelessly vague that I could never be sure of anything he was saying. "Alright… So… What do I do, now? Will I die if I touch sunlight?" Whatever this strange virus was, it sounded a lot like vampirism to me.

How prominent was this thing? Several of the residents in the Hotel have it as well.

A snort suddenly came from him. "You'll be fine. Just don't stay in there for too long. It'll probably give you a bit of a sunburn. Also, don't hunt in the same area too often. If you're in trouble, come to me."

Hunt? I was most definitely not going to hunt like some animal!

I also didn't even know where I was nor was my phone around. I could only guess that it was lost in the explosion. I needed to make sure that I wasn't going to be in trouble with the law after. Surely, they'd be able to identify who I was from the car and personal items, unless they had all thoroughly perished in the fire and explosion.

Maybe I could do some profile tweaking later… As much as I hated Alex, she _did_ have the right idea regarding _some_ things.

"Go, now. I know you'll want to return to him," he suddenly told me.

I frowned at him. How much did this man actually know about me? It couldn't have been a coincidence that he was conveniently there right at that moment.

But he was right. I was eager to leave and go back to where I was comfortable. 'Thank you for helping me," I told him. "How will I find you if I need help later?"

He quickly scrawled down on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "Phone when you need me; when you have access to one."

I nodded and folded the paper up.

It wasn't until I was outside did it all start to set in. There was a slight tingle where the sun fell on my skin. It didn't hurt. It just felt strange – wrong.

I continued to walk down the streets with the large hoodie and cut jeans he had lent me. The pants were held up by a piece of rope tied tightly around my waist.

What I still couldn't believe was that there were no markings on me, at all. Even the old scars were gone. What kind of virus did that? To be honest, overall, I didn't even fell that different. I was just still wondering how I was still alive. The memories of the car crash were already coming back to me.

I had run a red light, something that I should stop doing, but when I did, another car hit me on the driver's side. My car flipped and there was a kind man there who was trying so hard to help me. I wondered what happened to him after…

My feet brought me through a park where I stopped to rest on a bench beneath a large willow tree. The branches danced around me, rustling in the breeze.

I smiled instinctively when a pigeon flew down in front of me, pecking at the left over bread crumbs scattered across the grass, but the mirth quickly disappeared when a deep hunger awoken.

The small fluttering heart was loud, impossibly so. As if sensing something wrong, it turned its head towards me before quickly taking off into the sky.

When it was gone, I could breathe, again. Panting in horror at the thoughts that had flashed through my head, I feared that this was going to be normal, now.

"Miss? Miss, are you okay?"

I jolted, looking at the elderly woman who was learning towards me with a worried look on her face. My gaze immediately travelled to the jumping pulse at her neck.

I bit my lips hard enough to draw blood. The pain cleared my head enough to excuse myself and run away from the human blood bag.

Blood bag…

I hit my head with the palm of my hand. What was wrong with me? People were _not_ blood bags!

I ran until I saw the familiar run down building and dropped myself on to one of the dusty armchairs in the lobby. My heart threatened to break out of my chest.

"What's up with you?" I couldn't turn to face Iris, afraid that I was going to end up hurting her. "Hey!"

She sat down across from me with her usual frown on her face. I swallowed hard, throwing my head back, and covering my eyes with my arm. Out of sight, out of mind…

"Iris… This isn't a good time. I appreciate your concern, but I Just need a little time to myself," I mumbled.

Unfortunately, a second person arrived behind me, placing her large hands on my shoulders. "Our darling girl is in trouble. You can't expect us to leave you to deal with it alone."

"Liz…" I sighed. I was glad that she was no longer mourning in her room, but why were they concerned about me, _now_ , of all times? The last thing I wanted was to accidentally hurt them because of these strange urges.

"Let me have a good look at you." She gently moved my arm away. When she had her eyeful, I felt as if I was an opened book for her.

She ran her hand over my face. "What happened?" she quietly asked. "Did you ask for this?"

The tears began to well up in my eyes. I quickly turned away from them, but when Liz leaned in to hold me, I was barely able to control the urge to sink my teeth into the crook of her neck.

I quickly pushed her away. "Stay away from me! I… I'll hurt you." I removed myself from them and relocated to the fireplace where a small flame crackled.

Liz looked sadly back at me. 'The only way you'll hurt us is by your piss poor fashion." She crinkled her nose. 'Come on. I"ll get you something to drink and have some girl talk. I won't atke no for an answer, darling."

With both of them flanking me, I managed to somehow make it to the bar without incident. "I really shouldn't be here, right now…"

"Pish posh! No more out of you. Here." She slid over a martini glass. The drink was dark red and I could smell the sweet, coppery aroma fill my nose.

"How - ?!"

"Drink up." She smiled mysteriously at me.

I gulped the content down with much urgency, feeling a little more like myself when I was done.

"There's no need to be frightened." Iris patted my upper arm. "I've actually recently become like you." She told me about how her son had also been changed after overdosing in the Hotel. The countess had taken him as a lover and from then on, he had been obsessed with her. Iris stayed here as the concierge to be close to him. Once she realised that he would never care for her, she tried to take her own life. That was when Donovan saved her. The change had been hard on her, but Liz helped. Together, they managed the transition, until Iris was comfortable dealing with it on her own.

Her story explained a lot. It helped me put things into perspective. I knew that I, too, could gain control of my life, eventually.

In return, I told them about what happened to me – everything that I could remember. It was then that I realised I had been gone for nearly a week. What had a missed while I was gone?

Sensing that I was ready to leave, Liz shooed me away after another scolding regarding my borrowed outfit. I went up into my room and changed the attire that was offending Liz.

When I was in there, I finally took the time to truly look at myself in the mirror. At first glance, I appeared the same, but when I took the time to observe every detail, I could see the changes. The little bumps and scars on my face were gone. My hair was silkier. My lips darker. Amongst all things, my eyes were the ones that changed the most.

My blue eyes were almost black in certain angles. It was strange.

I opened my mouth and didn't really notice a difference, but I swore that my canines had been longer when I was drinking from the blood bag. With a disposable razor, I ran the blade over my thumb, watching as a bead of blood swelled out.

Immediately, I felt the canines ache and when I looked at the mirror, again, they had grown longer. Weird…

I stuck my thumb into my mouth and closed my eyes.

Was I still going to be able to eat normal food or was this it for me, now? I threw water into my face, hoping to clear my rampant thoughts.

"Where have you been?" Arms suddenly wrapped around me. He nuzzled my neck with his face, leaving kisses in his wake.

I wiped my face with a towel, looking at James through the mirror. The last thoughts before ht accident came back. Was he playing with me? How could I tell if he was giving me the truth?

"Madi?" He tilted his head, looking back at me in the reflective surface. With a sharp breath, he recoiled, shaking his head. "What have you done?"

I turned to him with a frown. "What do you mean?"

" _What have you done?!_ " he shouted. "You're just like _her_ , now – a monster! How could you do this to me?" With that, he was gone, leaving me alone, confused, hurt, and angry.

I let out a scream, sweeping everything off the counter and collapsed on to the cold tiles. Tears streamed down my face as my world crumbled around me. I could literally see each pillar that kept me upright slowly break away, leaving me alone. First John, then my humanity, and now, James.

Why did all of this have to happen? I never asked for any of it.

I rolled on to my back, staring blankly at the ceiling. Why did he sound as if _I_ was the one who had wronged him? I was not a monster! I didn't want to become this blood drinking freak! It was all because of him that I was even in that accident! He wouldn't leave my thoughts alone. If he had only done something to reassure me that he loved me…

But clearly he didn't because he _didn't_. He wouldn't have left me in such revulsion had he harboured any truly feelings for me.

Wasn't it better this way, though? I had been so frightened that he was working with the blonde bitch to screw me over. He had just made it easier for me by leaving first.

So why didn't it feel that way? Why did it hurt so much when he called me a monster? Why did it feel as if he had ripped my heart out when he left?

I rubbed my chest, trying to ease the pain, but it continued to nag at me; taunting me. What was I even doing with my life? Was this even considered living when I wasn't even sure what I was living for?

When I tried to find the answers to that, I found myself grabbing at straws. I was starting to hate Morgan for saving me. It would've been better if I had simply perished in that crash. It could've all been over in an instant. Instead, I was here, wondering why I was still alive and whether it was even worth it.

…

John was growing anxious. It had been a while since he was here and he still hadn't gotten anything new from the guards.

After hearing that the Ten Commandment Killer's accomplice had been caught, he knew that he had to follow the lead. He had already dedicated so much time and effort into this case. Not even the lieutenant could stop him, now.

He walked the halls, pacing and waiting for any of the guards to start talking, but it was another quiet day. With his book still in his hand, he allowed his thoughts to wander. He hoped that Scarlett was doing well. She was the one he worried about the most when he decided to come here. He was also worried about what poison Alex could be feeding her while he was away. A part of him had already given up, but he wasn't willing to completely let go, yet.

The other woman he was worried about was Madison. His sister always sounded head strong and typically managed to pull through, but he knew what he had done must've hit her hard.

Her overbearing nature developed after college when she broke out of most of her bad habits. It almost felt as if she thought she owed him for everything she had done and by God, she had done a lot. The middle of high school had been the worst. She ended up with the wrong crowd – drugs, alcohol, illegal car races. At one point, he thought he was going to lose her.

She had gone out clubbing with her friends. He called her over and over again and by midnight, he drove over. Her friends were all at the bar, shouting and drinking.

When he asked them where she was, they all seemed oblivious and the females all tried to hit on her, but just the mere scent of their cheap perfume was enough to make him back away. He eventually managed to find her in the disgusting bathroom with a man on top of her.

Rage welled up within him and he punched the man out before realising that she was unconscious with foam coming from her mouth.

If he hadn't found her that night, he knew without a doubt that she would've been dead. She was moments from suffocating, but he was able to resuscitate her by putting his first aid training to use and kept her airway cleared until the paramedics came. Then, he made sure that guy was put behind bars.

Unfortunately, she continued to fight him even after that. He tried everything to keep her in check. When he wasn't training and studying, he made sure he knew where she was. In a way, he was practising on her.

After graduating from high school, she had surprised him by announcing that she had been accepted by a local college. She never told him exactly what she studied, saying that it was top secret.

To be perfectly honest, he didn't even believe that she was in actually in school until he found her acceptance letter in her remarkably organised room and went there to see her come out of a lecture hall.

For the first year, she kept to herself.

In second year, Kaden came to her life and that was when things began to change. She was happier. She was more open. She had really begun to mature and for the first time, he could finally breathe easy.

He had been so proud when she got her degree and moved on to starting up her own business with her, _then_ boyfriend. Since then, she was doing a lot better than him. It was as if their roles were slowly reversing. He didn't want her to worry about him all the time like he did with her. That was one of the reasons why he checked himself in. The therapy sessions were working. His head was slowly becoming clearer, but there were still things that weren't connecting and he needed to get to the bottom of it.

He walked by the sealed psychiatric ward and finally got what he needed. The accomplice was here. She was a child. He was going to have to talk to her, get her to tell him who had been killing all those people.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I'm finally back home! I loved New York City and I loved London, but it's great to sleep in my own bed, again! I did, however, finally managed to buy my "Normal People Scare Me" shirt and it only cost ten pounds! I am very, very happy. I also bought a whole carry-on suitcase full of Harry Potter items from Primark!

Anyway! You guys probably don't care about those things.

Thank you so, so much for being so patient with the short chapters and the lack of response from reviews! Here is everything:

Thank you Vivi **H88, Applejax XD, Mystery Angle, kai-baekyun98, Cosmo39, WendyLeaf** guests ( **Guest, Guest, anonyouscsifan, Guest** (x?)) for reviewing!

 _From Chapter 15:_

 **Guest** : I think this chapter and the ones between may have answered your questions there. I'm so happy to see that you're invested in Madi's survival. If you've read my previous story, you'd know who Morgan is, but it's not really necessary to read it. I don't currently have a big role for him in Hotel, unless I get a lot of people wanting more of him.

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you! More you shall get!

 **Applejax XD** : All that happened to her! And probably more… She's not gonna get much of a break for a while. Oops!

 **Guest** : I hope it's not a bad thing that you weren't expecting this…

 _From Chapter 16:_

 **Guest** : It's a little bit of both? Who knows? Teehee… John is kind of back? I mean… He has his own little part, but he'll be with Madi… Kind of soon… Ahaha… Don't hate me!

 **Mystery Angle** : You know it! He's a little bit mad (or maybe that's just a bit of an understatement). Hmm… I'll have to save this review. I _have_ mused over some of these points shortly after watching it and I'll definitely mull over it more after this story is done. I'm still not sure exactly where the story would go if I wrote one on Roanoke. There was so little Rory and Edward. I guess we'll see!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Muahaha!

 **Cosmo39** : I think by this chapter, you've figured out what has happened to her.

 **Guest** : Teehee!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I think this is the first time I've seen you not review one of the chapters! I hope you had a good birthday!

Dealing with James really wasn't that great, was it? We'll have to see what happens when John is added to the mix. Also, I think by now, Madi feels a bit of a pull towards the demon as it does for her. It's been following her around for a while.

 **WendyLeaf** : Thank you! Have you read any of my previous ones? Or perhaps only Mr. James March tickles your fancy. Definitely no pressure to read the others!

 _From Chapter 17:_

 **Guest** : Madi was in a car accident and the car had a gas leak and blew up. From what happened to Iris and how Donovan brought her back, I assumed that there was a certain time that you can still bring someone to life before they're gone forever. She's not gonna catch a break for a while (spoilers)!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I contemplated the phoenix route… But I think if I did that, it would make her a little Mary Sue if she didn't start burning in the sun as well and writing that had been soooo difficult. I had to remember that she'd be on death row every time she stepped out. It really limited where I could place her. And _yes!_ That guy was Morgan! How can I not bring him back? I really liked writing about him. I'm so happy that you mentioned it!

Whew! I hope that very very long segment of reviews wasn't too confusing to follow after so many weeks.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

 _One Week Ago_

 _Day One_

James was nervously rearranging his cutlery as he waited for Elizabeth to arrive for their monthly dinner. This was going to be the last one. He just needed to break the news to her. Surely, it couldn't be that difficult. It wasn't as if she even wanted to be here. She should count it as a blessing! He was simply doing her a favour.

Yes, that made him feel better. Everything was going to be perfectly fine. He had absolutely nothing to worry about. Why was he even worried? It was highly unlike him. How silly…

There was a knock on the door.

Ah! She had arrived. Perfect. Every other time, she would stroll in without any courtesy, but during these dinners, it was as if they were reliving a short moment of the past, again.

"Welcome. Have a seat." He, ever the gentleman, pulled the chair out for her before tucking it back in. "I hope you had a good day. You're looking particularly beautiful. How is… uh… What was his name, again? Never mind that. This night is about you." He smiled pleasantly at her. Perhaps if she was in a good mood, this night couldn't possibly go awry.

"Thank you. Will is well. We will be going on our honey moon, soon," she told him, looking at him from the rim of her wine glass, gauging his reaction.

He smiled tightly at her. "That sounds… wonderful!" What he wouldn't give to take Madi out on a honey moon, but that would never be possible for them. He only had twenty-four hours a year to leave this place. Sure, he was proud of what he had built, but that didn't mean he didn't miss the open air – everything else this world had to offer. He had seen quite a few interesting sex instruments being brought in by the guests. He even "borrowed" some for his own amusement. He really wanted to see what other things the new world had created.

"Yes. I am really looking forward to it," she said. "I don't know when we will be back, but I may miss our dinner."

Perfect. That was exactly the lead way he needed. "No problem, at all," he reassured her. "It's actually something that I wanted to talk to you about. I'm relieving you of the obligations to continue this monthly ritual. It is no longer necessary."

There. That was short and straight to the point. What could possibly go wrong?

Her entire form froze. Eyes fixated on him – hard and cold. She was observing him, seeing if he was being serious. He stared challengingly back at her, refusing to lose this battle. He needed this.

Quite frankly, he was sick of always feeling inferior in her presence. He should've fought back ages ago. He had been too distracted by his project and moulding her into his perfect counterpart that he realised too late he had created a monster, instead. She started to get her own ideas of how to run the place. She had taken everything he had and used it against him to create a lair of freaks in his hotel. A part of him still couldn't believe that his own wife had called the cops on him; that she would ruin everything he had built. If he had only seen it earlier, perhaps then, she wouldn't have garnered so much power over his hotel.

He was going to have to change that and he knew exactly where to start.

"How is your little pet?" she asked, dabbing at her blood red lips before placing the napkin back on to the table. "She's not in the hotel. You should think of tightening that leash before she runs away."

He clenched his jaw. "She is doing fine and will be coming back from work, soon. I'm sure you still remember what that was like."

She hummed. "You must know that this won't last. Eventually, she will want more. She will want all the things that she cannot have…" _With you…_ That part was left unsaid, but they both knew that it was true. He wasn't physically able to provide her with everything she would want. Even knowing this, he wasn't willing to let her go. He was going to do everything in his power to make her stay with him.

The doubts, however, were successfully planted within him.

Elizabeth always knew where to hit to hurt him the most. His insecurities were already slowly bubbling into the surface. What if she was right? What if Madi _does_ leave him?

He once thought that Elizabeth was it. She had been his perfect match, but look where that got him. _Dead!_

When she left, he left out a sigh. He was definitely over thinking it. If it wasn't for her mind games, the night went surprisingly well. He had expected more fuss. She hadn't exactly denied him.

Ignoring the minor hit to his ego, he allowed Ms. Evers to clean the room. It wasn't long before he was sitting by the window with his eyes closed, thinking of how he was going to tell her that he had basically cut all ties with his ex-wife. It was about time, too. Some of the weight was finally lifted off his shoulders.

It was well past midnight when he frowned and wondered where she was. Hadn't he made it clear that she was to return to him every night? Every day since her brother had been away, she had stayed in his room. He was given no indications that today would be any different.

 _Day Two_

He spent the entire day sulking until another thought came to him. What if she wasn't staying away because of her own volition? What if someone was keeping her from him?

Elizabeth had taken it all too well. She always hated Madi, but the most she had ever done thus far, was erase Madi's memories of them. It was a nuisance, but nothing irreversible.

He darted around the hotel, hoping to find something – _anything_ , but there was nothing. Nothing! He even went down to the dungeon where they extracted blood from unfortunate guests. It was all a waste of time.

Elizabeth must've done something to her, but what?

When he bumped into the newly turned Iris, he decided to ask if she had seen anything unusual.

She gave him a dry look in return. "What do you think? This entire hotel is unusual. You're unusual. I'm unusual – "

"Alright! Alright!" He couldn't disagree with her on that one. Sure, he built this place and was very proud of it, but there was no doubt the hotel was different from the others of its kind. He made certain of that. "Have you seen Madi anywhere?"

"No. She's probably busy living her life. You know that she tends to do that. Can't fault the girl. She's young and can't be cooped up in here like us, old farts," she sighed, pushing her reading glasses up. "If only I still had the same opportunity…"

He scowled, not liking to think that she had a life away from him or that she'd actually have a good time in the unknown. "Yeah… I'll keep that in mind…" he mumbled.

His brain was running a smile a minute. "You know… I do have some things to discuss with you. Why don't we go somewhere more private – have some tea or whatever tickles your fancy?"

She shot him a suspicious look, but followed him in a resigned manner. What a depressing woman…

Once they were in his room, he got to the point. "I've heard your quiet talks with that useless son of yours. Trying to get rid of her, eh?"

She paled. "I – I – I don't know what you mean."

He smirked, loving the way she was literally trembling in front of him. He allowed it to go on a moment longer before regretfully reassuring her that she was not in any sort of trouble. "No need to fear. I would actually like to offer you my assistance."

"I swear that I – I'll – What?" She gasped at him as if he had just grown a second head. Surely, he was joking. Was this some sort of test? If she agreed, was the Countess going to pop up and drain her dry?

"Are you going senile? I said that I'll help you, you daft woman. You want to get rid of The Countess and I want to get rid of Elizabeth. Since they're the same person, I believe that we should join forces." He was becoming annoyed that she wasn't jumping at the chance to work with him.

After a minute of trying to figure out whether he was telling the truth or not, Iris eventually decided that he was trustworthy enough. "Who am I to deny help? God knows that I'll need it."

James smiled merrily at her. "Good choice! I shall meet with you at a later time and discuss our next course of action."

Iris was relieved that the responsibility of being leader had been passed down. She really wasn't one for ordering people around and her son was basically useless. He was still obsessed with that devil of a woman. It didn't matter what he told her, she knew the truth.

Maybe if she could find him another woman, someone who didn't use him and throw him away. Hell, even that druggy Sally would be a better choice, but she wasn't an option anymore. Being tied down to a ghost who was stuck here only meant that nothing would change.

What about Madison Lowe? She seemed like a relatively decent woman. T he only problem was that James was very possessive over her. She couldn't imagine he'd even agree with using the brunette to seduce Donovan until the Countess was dead.

Hopefully, together, they'd be able to do something about her.

She sighed.

Her son was doomed to be stuck with failed relationships, wasn't he?

 _Day Three_

James was already devising a plan as he continued to wait for Madi's return, but she was still nowhere to be found. It hadn't been too long. She had been away far longer than this before, but his gut was telling him that something was wrong.

He was going crazy in his room. He needed somewhere else to pace.

With a huff, he went to visit Ms. Taylor who had finally come out of her room. He hadn't told her that he had seen the old model following her everywhere. If they wanted to play games, who was he to stop them? It really wasn't any of his business. Besides, it was quite amusing watching the two of them sulk.

"Ms. Taylor," he greeted, bowing his head.

She tiredly looked at him. "What is it, Mr. March?"

"Have you seen Madison?" he asked, picking up the book that was lying opened on her vanity. Absentmindedly, he flipped through it as he waited for her reply.

"No, I haven't seen anyone for the past few days," she mumbled, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

It was rare to see her without makeup. S He looked like the poor, lost businessman who had managed to wander into his hotel all those years ago.

He wrinkled his nose. He had gotten used to all the makeup and drag. Her current appearance was just… unpleasant. It was as if he was looking at Ms. Taylor's long lost uncle. "Tell me if you see her. Tell me, _immediately_."

"Is she - ?"

Shifting his eyes away from the train wreck in front of him, he never allowed her to finish before he closed the door, bumping into Tristan on the way.

"Better think this through before she really falls off the deep end," he told the equally distressed model. Alright, so perhaps he was just a little sick and tired of the drama. It wasn't that amusing anymore. He needed them _functional_.

Tristan sighed. "I don't want her to be hung up on a dead man. She needs to live her life and I can't be a part of that."

James rolled his eyes. If he followed the same self-confining morals, then he would've gone mad ages ago. He also wouldn't have gotten to know Madi. What a foolish lad… He truly knew nothing of how the world worked.

"Whatever you say," he grumbled. "Tell me if you see Madi anywhere."

He nodded glumly back.

With all the sulking and moping, he needed something to lift his mood and what better way to do it than to terrorise the newest guests?

He found himself a pair of college kids who were trying to make a documentary. Stifling a snigger, he decided to give them exactly what they came here for. They were little things at first. He threw their bags around, turned the lights on and off, and even temporarily flashed behind one them while they were conversing.

They squealed in excitement and checked the footage over and over again. "Hello? We know you're there. You're James March, right? The one who built this place? We just wanna talk to you."

Well, then! Why didn't they just say so?

After removing the wide grin from his face, he materialised in front of the duo who jumped in shock, not actually expecting anything to happen.

"Hello, there. I am James Patrick Match. Who may you be?"

He played along with their game and even showing them to all the old, unoccupied rooms.

Ms. Evers was going to have a field day clearing the old corridor.

 _Day Four_

This was getting ridiculous. She was still missing. He really didn't want to ask Elizabeth after that night, but he may not have a choice if he still couldn't find her. He even followed her around like a creep, but she did nothing except have sex and shed blood.

He was once jealous of the many men she kept in her company. However, that was no longer the case.

"Donovan," He appeared in front of the dark-haired monster, albeit a handsome monster. "I need you to do something for me."

Donovan narrowed his eyes. "Why should I help you?"

"No need to be so defensive. I only thought you'd like to know because it involves your precious Countess," he replied, certain that that would capture the other man's attention.

"What about her?" Donovan snapped.

"She has something of mine and I want it back," he said. "IN return, I will help you with one favour, even if it means getting you back together with her."

Just because he said it, didn't mean he was actually going to do it. What was that pathetic creature going to do if he broke his promise?

Donovan clenched his jaw. "… Fine. Tell me what you want."

He had Donovan spy on her and try to get as much information as he could.

At the end of the day, the worthless lout had nothing for him. Why did he ever think that the fool would be of any use to him?

With another failure, it was beginning to feel hopeless. It was almost as if Elizabeth really didn't have anything to do with it.

The problem left him scratching the back of his head.

He had been so certain…

Elizabeth was must just be a better actress than he thought.

 _Day Five_

His hand pumped his rock hard erection. He imagined her lips around his cock. She bobbed her head, taking all of him in.

"Madi…" he groaned, squeezing himself tighter.

He needed her.

What had she done to him?

She wouldn't leave his thoughts, which meant that he was permanently hard for her.

He let out another groan, feeling himself close.

 _Day Six_

Liz suddenly came knocking at his door, informing him that she had finally returned. There was something in her voice as she warned him that Madi was not quite the same, but he brushed her off and headed straight into Rm 64.

He had waited too longer for this. How dare she keep him waiting? She better have a good explanation for her disappearance.

Once he was at her room, he saw that the door was left ajar and went to lock it after he entered. No one else was allowed to see her naked.

He moved to the bathroom where the light was on. Her very presence lifted his mood. As he found her in front of the sink, washing her face, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Ah… He was indescribably angry with her, but that didn't stop his libido from taking over. He was horny from not sticking it into anything for so long. Jerking himself off was such temporary relief and no one else could do it for him, anymore. This little slip of a brunette had ruined him.

As he was about to show him exactly what she had done to him, she looked up in alarm, and he froze in horror. He knew that look – those eyes. He had seen them many times before. How could she do this to him? She was just like everyone else, wanting immortality! Didn't she know that this would change her?

She was going to end up exactly like Elizabeth – an unrecognisable monster.

He refused to end up being that neglected puppy, again.

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Whew! I changed the format of this chapter so many times and finally decided on this. I also didn't expect to have the entire thing be in James' perspective, but… I guess he really wanted his own part.

Thank you **Vivi H88, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Guest** : I completely agree with you about James! He really needs to fix things between Madi and him. I love Iris and Liz. They are such an entertaining duo. I can't wait until I can thrust John back into the main bit of my story. I really miss him… And I missed replying to all your reviews, too! Also, don't apologise for asking questions. I love answering them (when I can)!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Haha! Yes, you were! I just _had_ to bring Morgan back somehow. I'm not sure how big his role will be in this story, but you'll definitely see more of him later on! I kind of like the idea of James jealous… Hmm… And yes, John is completely in his own world. I find both James and John can be so tunnel-visioned, sometimes. They'd have a plan and suddenly, nothing else would matter, until it's all accomplished. While I was in London, that AHS shirt was literally _everywhere!_ I kind of wish I bought another in another colour (red/burgundy/maroon?), but oh well… Maybe next time!

Evan Peters better be in the next one! Oh… Actually, I just googled it because your review made me a little nervous, but from what I can see, he _will_ be in the newest one! Yay! I hope he's broody, though. If not… I'll make him broody if I write about it. Muahahah!

 **kai-baekyun98** : I'm angry at James, too. He was worried about her during her disappearance, but what he did upon seeing her was simply unacceptable.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

James paced his room for a full hour before Ms. Evers came knocking. She was doing her usual cleaning rounds and immediately noticed his foul mood.

"What's wrong, Mr. March?" she asked, taking a seat on the carpet by his feet. Her wide eyes stared adoringly at him. She could be so overbearing sometimes.

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. How far was she willing to lower herself? "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Ms. Evers," he replied, smoothing over his moustache in thought.

He had been so enraged by his findings that he glossed over all the details. How exactly did she end up like that? _Who_ had infected her and why?

Running his hand through his hair, he tried to rid himself of the guilt that was bubbling at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't understand why he was feeling this way. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was all _her_ fault!

He continued to try to rationalise his actions when there was a loud cry outside that caught his attention. He glanced out the window to try to catch what chaos was ensuing, but all he saw were Liz and Iris running out. Even craning his neck, he couldn't get the right angle to see what was happening.

With a huff, he made his way downstairs, noting that even Elizabeth were at the lobby, curious to see what was causing the ruckus.

He stood by the door, waiting until the sight heading towards him made his dead heart drop.

Cradled in Liz's arms was a bloody form. Blood streamed from thin wrists. The same red substance poured from her pale neck.

He had never felt so helpless being trapped in his hotel. If she was already dead, he'd lost her forever.

Once she was placed on the rug in front of the fireplace, everyone was running around fetching supplies – towels, water, bandages, pillows, anything that could help.

He knelt down beside her and gently touched her cheek. They were as soft as he remembered, but she was freezing. She couldn't be dead… There was still so much he had to say to her. _That_ couldn't have been their last conversation. There was still so much he had to say, so much he wanted to do to her, so much he had to apologise for…

His fingers shook as they hovered above her neck. He couldn't do it. He feared that if he checked for a pulse, he would find nothing.

"She's still alive. We need blood. Lots of it," Liz said, looking around to see who was willing to help, but no one was particularly eager to volunteer.

The Countess gave one last look at the bleeding form before turning on her heels and leaving. The girl was no problem of hers. It was unfortunate that she hadn't died outside. She didn't want to have to have the tiny thing running around her hotel forever.

James laid down by her head as the others tried their best to supply blood. There wasn't a lot of human staff left. Most of them were spirits like him. There was only so much Liz and Iris could do by themselves.

He couldn't remain idle any longer. He got up and searched the rooms, until he found what hew s looking for. The pair f women were quickly rendered unconscious by the hotel lamp. He dragged them one by one into the lobby where Iris gasped at the sight. "Here. Before you kill yourself, I can't have everyone dead! I need some living staff!"

Iris slowly walked over to the unconscious forms and sighed. She couldn't understand why March even cared. If Madison died here, then she wouldn't ever be able to leave him, again. Wasn't that what he wanted?

After retrieving a butcher knife and bowl from the kitchen, she began to work. It was messy and would require a lot of cleaning after.

Even so, March insisted that they continued here instead of moving her. The hotel was closed. Any guests who came down were killed to feed her.

"Drink," he whispered, slowly tilting the bowl into her mouth. With his other hand, he massaged her neck. "Drink and heal. I will not allow you to die like this." Yes, not like this. If she was to die, it would be by _his_ hands. No one else was allowed to take that pleasure away from him, not even _herself_.

As he sat there with her against his chest, he couldn't even recall why he had been so angry. It wasn't her fault. She wasn't a monster. She hadn't done anything wrong. It was _him_. _He_ was the monster. He knew that if she died now, she was never going to forgive him. He had to make things right with her or else the five years with her would've been for not.

"Come on…" And soon, she was swallowing on her own. A wave of relief hit him. "Don't leave me, Madi."

Liz leaned on Iris as she weakly watched the couple. It was like a tragic romance novel – a beautiful story where it ended before there could be a happy ending.

If she hadn't personally seen their relationship grow, she would never have imagined that they could be a match. James Patrick March was such an unlikely candidate for the fiery woman, but as time passed, they naturally gravitated towards each other. She always returned, even without her memories. Both she and her brother were bound to the old, possessive spirit.

He leaned over, leaving a kiss on her temple and put the empty bowl down. Wordlessly, he picked her up and took her into his room where he proceeded to spend the next few days beside her.

There were several visitors – some curious and some genuinely concerned, but none of them stayed for long when they grew uncomfortable from his foul mood.

It was on the third day did she stir. HE waited with bated breath as her eyes fluttered open and she let out a soft groan.

She shifted in his arms and ended up with her face buried in his chest. "James…?" she mumbled when she was lucid enough to identify the person holding her.

"I'm here, my dear." He brushed back the hair from her pale face.

She gave a rather content hum, similar to the sounds she would make after a good night of coupling, instead of nearly dying because he had been an awful prat to her.

When she tilted her head to look at him, he was glad to see that the mark around her neck had nearly faded into nothing already. He would hate to have it as a reminder every time he looked at her. What he had done… He still couldn't believe that he had nearly lost her.

Suddenly, she jolted away, moving so quickly that he barely registered what had happened. Her face was frozen in horror and she was seconds away from bolting. "What am I doing here?"

"Madi – " He got up and that was all it took for her to fly out of his room as if he was the devil himself. There was a painful clench in his chest. Her faith in him had been broken and he wasn't sure if he could fix it, this time. With her also contracting the virus, he couldn't even have anyone modify her memories, anymore. She was going to forever remember what he had said to her, how he had looked at her, how he had pushed her away because of his own past fears.

He fell back on to the bed with his head in his hands. The fun was over. He had somehow been reduced to a pining mess even worse than when Elizabeth got him killed. After he died, he was more angry than anything. He wanted to understand why she had done what she did and he had wanted to make her _remember_ what she had done to him – thus, the monthly dinners.

As much as he hated this emotional concoction of guilt, regret, helplessness, and grief, he still wasn't willing to give up on her, yet. For the past five years, he had come close many times before, but each time, he found himself craving her, again. It was impossible to keep her out of his mind.

She was an addiction…

He wanted her in every way, in every state.

Even now, as she probably hated him, he wanted to grab her and throw her on to his bed. His body thrummed with need. He would love to have angry sex with her.

Letting out a frustrated growl, he practically tore off his trousers and gripped tightly around his member. He thumbed the head, spreading the pre-cum along his length.

He readjusted his hips, groaning as he imagined her mouth on him. Her teeth angrily scraped the sensitive flesh. Her name fell out of his lips as he continued to pleasure himself.

His…

She was his and the sooner she realised that there was no escaping him, the sooner they could finally enjoy each other the way they were meant to.

His eyes snapped open when he felt another presence in the room. "Oh, fuck off!" he snarled, glaring at the demon who stood at the foot of the bed. IT continued to watch as he arched his back and spilled all over himself.

He needed her.

He was going to get her back no matter what.

…

I ran into my room and quickly locked the door, despite knowing that it would do nothing to deter him. IT was only there to make me feel better.

My mind was still racing as I tried to piece together everything that had happened.

I was saved from a car crash by Morgan who changed me. I came back and James was there, but…

I looked down at my hands before touching my face, scrutinising it as if everything was suddenly foreign to me.

A monster…

He had called me a monster. Had he been right? A part of me had been so eager to return to him, even though I had doubts of his affection for me. I truly wanted to believe that he loved me as much as I loved him, but that wasn't the case. All my doubts… They had just been confirmed, hadn't they?

Although it was unlikely that he was conspiring with the Countess, it was obvious that my feelings for him weren't reciprocated. He didn't love me. If he did, he wouldn't have said what he did. Just because I was given some strange virus, didn't mean that I was different.

I was still myself.

I was still Madison Lowe.

I was heartbroken after what happened and was halfway through packing when a knock had interrupted me. I opened the door and Alex was standing there.

 _"What are you doing here?" I frowned, clutching the door tightly with my hand. I was seconds away from breaking down in front of the woman I hated most._

 _She smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You have been gone for a while and everyone here has been missing you."_

 _My frown deepened. "Yes, well… As you can see, I'm fine, so you may go." She needed to leave. I didn't want to deal with her at the best of times and this was truly the worst of times. I had absolutely no interest to hear what she wanted to say. If she wanted to convince me again to help save her ass, she was sorely mistaken._

 _"You're not even going to invite me in?" she asked. "Wouldn't you at least like to spend some time with Holden?"_

 _She shifted slightly, revealing the blonde boy who was holding on to her dress. I gritted my teeth. She knew perfectly well that I could deny him nothing._

 _"Very well." I stepped back, allowing them access into the messy room. My clothes were thrown everywhere, ready to be folded into my suitcase. "Excuse the mess…" I mumbled out of habit, pushing my things away to make room for Holden who jumped on to the bed._

 _He gave me a toothy grin and laid his head in my lap._

 _Alex remained standing by the door, watching us as if I was going to suddenly pick him up and steal him away._

 _I ran my hand through his soft, platinum blonde hair. He looked more like his mother, but he had John's eyes. It wasn't long before he was curled against me, fast asleep and oblivious to the world._

 _"Why are you really here, Alex?" I looked back up at the other woman in the room. "Haven't you already done enough? You could've told him that Holden was here before he went and committed himself. Don't you care about him, at all? Is there absolutely no room in your heart to show some compassion for someone other than you and your son?"_

 _She glared back at me. "It's not that simple. It is because of my concern that I encouraged him to go. He needs help and they can help him there. As a doctor, I want everyone to be happy and healthy – physically and psychological."_

 _"_ _He_ _needs help? He's not the one with metal issues, woman._ _You_ _just want him out of the way so you can spend all your precious time with Holden," I hissed, careful not to speak too loudly in fear of the boy hearing us arguing. It was not his fault that his mother had a sick obsession with him._

 _She walked towards me. Her eyes darkened with hatred. 'You don't know anything! I finally have my son back! Why shouldn't I try my best to keep him with me?"_

 _As I was about to reply, she reached into her cloak and produced a needle and syringe. "What are y – "_

 _By the time I moved Holden to the side, the needle was in my neck. There was a fiery burn as the liquid entered my blood stream. Soon, my entire body felt as if it was on fire. "You've made enemies with the wrong people, bitch!"_

 _My vision blurred and I fell backwards._

Alex… That crazy bitch drugged me!

I looked down at my hands where the wrist was still marked at where she tried to make it as if I had I attempted to commit suicide. Hopefully, no one actually thought I had been depressed enough over someone like _James Patrick March_ to do something like this. I wondered if that was actually the last thought in my mind. I had been conscious then, but she had slashed my throat before I could do anything.

The blood flowed so quickly. All I could do was picnic as I lay horrified just outside of the hotel. This wasn't how I wanted to die – not by _her_ hands.

I gritted my teeth. She was going to pay. I was going to make sure that there were consequences for messing with both my brother and me.

Looking at the half-packed mess will in my room, I decided to stay a little longer. There were more important things for me to deal with than a stupid heartbreak.

When everything was back in place, I took my laptop and went to the closest coffee shop to use their internet. That was one of the things I hated about the Hotel. There was no wifi anywhere. How could it be so outdated? If I ever got my hands on it, I was going to make sure that that would be the first upgrades.

I plugged in my headset, opened up my program, and called the police.

The operator came on quickly.

"Hello," the voice changer transformed my voice into an elderly man. "I have information on an old case regarding a young boy named Holden Lowe. There was a blonde, strangely dressed woman in the Hotel Cortez who has him."

I had to be careful not to get anyone else involved – unless it was the Countess because really, she was also a blonde, strangely dressed woman at the Hotel – so I only gave them the necessary information to find the two of them together.

As much as it pained me to rip Holden away from his mother, again, I knew that he was her weakness and I had to hit her where it hurt. Besides, she wasn't a particularly good mother. The police could probably trace poor Scarlett being left with her grandparents all the time. Of course, the old fools were going to defend their daughter, but their words wouldn't mean a thing.

When I ended the call, I closed my eyes, hoping that I had made the correct decision. This could turn out very poorly for everyone. T he custody battle could rip them further apart or somehow, John would be able to gain full access to his children and Alex would be locked away, never to bother us again.

But first, there was a lot of tampering I had to do, starting with blocking anyone from finding out what John had done. They had to see that he was fully capable of taking care of his children and being in a mental facility definitely wasn't doing him any favours.

While I worked, I also made sure that no one knew that I had gotten into a fatal car crash because then, I should've been dead and I clearly wasn't. Upon looking at the news articles, it seemed that no one figured out who was in my melted car. The man who tried to help me gave a vague description of my appearance, but that was it. It could be any brown hair, blue eyed woman. The explosion had destroyed just about everything else, including the license plate and my bag.

That was a relief… Getting a new driver's license wasn't going to be too difficult.

Telling Kaden that I hadn't disappeared off the face of the Earth however…

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Whew… I was in a not so good mindset when I started this chapter, but it did get better by the end of the week and suddenly, Madi isn't quite the one trying to kill herself! Yay! I think? Were any of you expecting this to happen?

Thank you **Vivi H, punkvomit, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Guest** : I'm not sure if I'll ever like Elizabeth! She's just so… Urk… And _Alex!_ Well, I've made absolutely no effort to show how much I hate her. And yes, James was completely over the top. He allowed his own past experience to bleed on to the present and mingle the Countess with Madi. They are two completely different people!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Haha! You're right! James is so dramatic and self-centred, sometimes (most of the time)! I think this scare might be the swift kick that he needs. Poor Madi nearly died for him to realise that maybe he doesn't quite have his emotional priorities straight.

I heard that Evan Peters might be a comedy relief character in the newest one and that makes me slightly worried because they either don't last long or they don't have much of a role, at all… I also prefer him to be a broody sociopath…

 **punkvomit** : Thank you for reviewing! Was this one of the paths that you expected? I'm not sure if I expected this myself, until everything was written and typed…

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

I went to the coffee shop often after I told Kaden that I was going to work from home for a while. He insisted on visiting me, but there was no way I'd be able to keep him safe in a hotel of murderous lunatics.

Luckily, however, things had fallen to my favour when the police took Alex into custody and I was given the responsibility of Holden, while Scarlett stayed with her grandparents. I was going to fight for her, as well. It was only going to be a matter of time, since I already had the documents ready for a restraining order.

I took him to see his sister often just so the siblings could spend more time together, but I made sure that we were always well fed first. It would be a disaster if either of us lost control in the presence of two elderly and a young girl.

For several hours, I sat awkwardly on the couch, knowing full well that Alex's parents hated me. Their entire family always had this weird misconception that I was practically the Devil, existing only to corrupt young, impressionable minds. Sure, I haven't always been the model citizen, but I have been relatively good for many years. Shouldn't that count for something?

Of course, they were fighting for Holden, now, while Alex's lawyer was negotiating for a bail. Fortunately, Holden preferred to stay with me and the court saw no reason to take him away. I had a good, cushy job and could work at home. That was really all they needed to make their judgment. That, and of course, my shiny record that was void of anything that could be taken as… suspicious.

"Auntie Madi, I want to go home, now." Holden ran over, hugging my leg.

"So soon?" Mary knelt by the boy who looked as if he hadn't aged in five years. They didn't question the condition too much when I told them how sensitive he was to it. They were also probably completely content with the delusion that their lives were still picture perfect. "I was just about to bake your favourite chocolate chip cookies."

"I want to go home," he mumbled, again, into my pant leg.

"Alright, home time, then." I lifted him into my arms and turned to leave when Frank grabbed on to my upper arm in a bruising grip.

"You can't keep monopolising him. I know what you're up to. I won't let you rip him away from his mother! Your dirty money with get everyone around you killed!" he hissed.

I glared back at him, wrenching myself away. "I don't know what Alex has been feeding you, but I've done _nothing_ wrong. I own an honest business protecting people from cyber attacks. If you have a computer, most likely, you are using my program. Maybe you should evaluate your view on your daughter though. Don't you think a child also needs their father – someone your precious girl has been keeping from the kids?"

With that, I stormed away with Holden clinging tightly on to me. "I'm sorry, darling. You didn't need to hear that," I quietly mumbled to him.

He didn't reply, having grown distracted by playing with my long hair and sucking his thumb.

The walk back to the hotel was long. I hadn't gotten the chance to get a new car, yet. It was fortunate that the clouds shrouded the sun. "Are you hungry?"

He shook his head. He had grown so quiet. Back then, he'd run and shout and laugh like all the other children. I wondered if the Countess forbade that. It was a shame that he never had a normal childhood, but at least, he was still alive and it wasn't as if he didn't have forever to enjoy it. I was going to spoil him however I could and I knew that once John came back, he'd do the same.

"Had fun?" Iris asked when I stepped into the lobby.

I shot her a look. She knew perfectly well by now that my relation with Alex's side of the family was heavily strained. I was surprised that she even bothered asking, anymore, seeing how I must've ranted her ears off by now. Perhaps she just enjoyed my pain. What a closet sadist…

Holden squirmed in my arms before I let him go and he ran off. "It went as well as to be expected. They absolutely hate me, but since Scarlett's staying with them for the time being I have no choice but to bring him there."

She patted the back of my hand. "I understand exactly how you feel. I hate it here, but what else can I do? Donovan won't leave."

Of course, that son of hers was quite easy to see. He latched on to things that made him feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He had an addictive personality. At first, it was Sally, then the drugs, and now, the blood-thirsty Countess.

I used to think that I was like that. I wanted to do something different with my life. I didn't want to follow the same boring path as everyone else, but look where that had gotten me.

I was nearly raped and was almost killed by my own carelessness. No matter what I did, I wasn't happy. I couldn't find anything to really keep me going, so I clung on to what made me feel good – alcohol, drugs, late nights, and illegal races. I was at that phase where everything was horribly bleak and it was always about me, me, me. I hadn't cared that I was hurting other people. My own pain was more important.

Boy, did I regret those years…

I wondered if Donovan ever felt the same. His decisions had led to Sally's death and his mother's absolute misery. He had become a castaway of a heartless bitch who really couldn't care less if he lived or died. And yet, he continued to obsess over her like a fool. What a dreadful position to be in…

"I think I've given up on him," she sighed. "He's never going to be the son I once loved, but there will always be a part of me that loves him. Sad, isn't it?"

I hugged her. "Not at all. A mother will always love their children." Even if it's in their own sick ways that would eventually hurt them.

"Yes… Unfortunately… But never mind me. I hear you're still not talking to Mr. March. He's been a nightmare since you started to ignore him," she told me.

I gave her a small shrug. "He'll just have to deal with it. He knows what he had done and he's old enough to know that there are consequences."

Despite the fact that everyone had been wrong and thought I tried to kill myself because of what he said, I was still angry at him. It didn't matter that his words hadn't exactly caused me to try to commit suicide. No one understood how much they actually hurt, especially when I was so confused about myself and all the changes that were happening to my body.

Ultimately, I was still me. If such a physical change was able to incite such hatred, what would that mean for our future? Was a relationship together even possible?

Seeing my stubborn expression, Iris gave another sigh. "Well, I'll leave you two to handle it on your own, but if you're looking for someone – even if it's just a rebound – Donovan is still free. I'd really like a nice daughter-in-law who's not trying to kill me before my time."

I couldn't stop the grin from my face at the mention of her son. It wasn't the first time that she had tried to push us together and I did have an actual conversation with him once, but both of us agreed that there was no way we'd ever be emotionally attracted to each other. It seemed that aside from the Countess, he wasn't even all that interested in women. The way he spoke of John made me think that he had a bit of a crush on my brother.

"I'm going to be in my room if you need me," I told her. It was going to be a while still before Holden was going to wake up. My entire sleep cycle had been thrown upside down trying to accommodate his.

Whenever I was alone, I'd sulk and think of him. I hated how he was constantly in my head. Every memory of him was stubbornly staying in place – his strange accent, his touch, the way he filled me so perfectly –

I shook my head, trying desperately to stop myself from falling into that dark spiral, again.

When had I become so emotionally invested in this delusion that anything could come out of a relationship with a _ghost_? I was absolutely mad!

Even knowing all this, my heart still longed for him. Just the very thought made me wish that he was here, that I could still trust him with the most precious part of me.

When I closed my eyes, I was hit with the dark orbs that had looked at me with such hatred that I immediately pulled myself back to reality. _That_ was why I couldn't bring myself to forgive him. The burning hatred… I never thought something like this could cut so deep.

I had every reason to leave before I could be hurt any further, but my heart refused to listen. Its influence on the rest of me was the reason why I was still here, trying to gather the shattered pieces of what he had left behind.

What was I going to do?

When I first woke up in his room, he seemed genuinely concerned for my well being, but how long before he turned on me, again? How long before he truly grew bored of me and his hatred would remain forever? If he killed me in this hotel, I was going to have to face that every day for all of eternity.

I didn't want to end up being the person thrown aside as if I was nothing more than trash. I had to fully severe this unhealthy relationship before it killed me.

There was a sudden knock on my door that made me freeze. I walked over, peering into the peep hole.

Ever since I allowed Alex to nearly end me, I had been screening my visitors. I had yet to find her anywhere near me, but who knew when she would suddenly be out in the public, again? It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Kaden?" I called out as if he was a hallucination who magically conjured himself in front of my door.

I unlocked the door and blinked at him. Was he really there? I still wasn't wholly convinced that I wasn't imagining him.

His handsome face split into a wide grin before proceeding to enter the room as if it was his own. "Nice place you have here. I can see why you refuse to leave." He jumped on to the bed with his shoes still on.

No, he was most definitely not a delusion.

My left eye twitched in irritation. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, as a business partner and co-founder, I was naturally worried for the company, so I took things into my own hands." He was wiggling around, getting comfortable on _my_ bed. "This hotel is a little old and dinky, but you probably have room service here, don't you? Must be nice. I want a maid!"

He continued to ramble on as I tried to get his feet off my bed. "Since you weren't coming to me, I thought I'd go to you and see how the situation really is."

I crossed my arms. "Now that you've seen it, you can go."

He pouted like an overgrown child. 'You haven't even offered me drinks. What kind of host are you? As your very thoughtful guest, I demand to be treated with respect!"

Rolling my eyes, I took a random mug, filled it with tap water from the bathroom and thrust it into his hand. "Drink up. This is the best I can offer you here."

He sat up and cheekily downed the entire thing with exaggerated enjoyment. "Ah! Yum! Much better, but I heard that there's a bar here? Care to hook a guy up?"

With an arm swung around my shoulder, he pulled me out of the room, barely allowing me time to lock the door as we hurried down the hall.

We waited for the elevator, but as soon as I saw him, I took Kaden's hand and immediately raced over to the stairs. "I should show you the view here. Look down." I peeked over the rail to see the spiral staircase.

He leaned over, giving a low whistle. "Not bad."

I continued to pull him down the stairs when I saw a peek of a black suit rounding the corner. "You should see it from the top of the steps at the lobby."

He nearly tripped over his feet when I gave him a harsh tug. "What is your hurry, woman?!"

I said nothing. It was difficult to even hear him through the blood rushing into my head. I wasn't ready to face him, yet.

As soon as we reached the bar, I plopped down on the stool with a heavy sigh. A shot of vodka was placed in front of me. "Thanks, Liz," I mumbled.

"Thank me by introducing me to this handsome fellow." She smiled, looking appreciatively at Kaden.

He looked awkwardly back at her. "Um… I'm uh… Kaden… m-ma'am…?"

I bit my lips, trying to suppress the quirk tugging at the corners as I watched the scene with mirth. It was great finally seeing someone make him lose his composure.

Kaden was a man who was cool in _nearly_ any situation, but it seemed that I had finally found his weakness and I was surely going to take advantage of it.

" _You_ can call me whatever you like." She gave him a wink.

His eyes shot over to me, but I merely turned my head, pretending to observe an imaginary stain on my sleeve. If he was just going to barge in here without notice, he deserved to experience all the amenities that came with it.

"Right… Uh… Liz…" he stuttered. He was still staring at the tall woman in shock.

She leaned in closer, her lips twisted into a seductive smirk. "Yes? What can I get you?"

As Liz continued to tease the poor man, my eyes truly began to wander. There were a couple of new patrons who were sitting in the very centre. They were talking and laughing loudly. I swept my gaze away from them to the man who was sitting in the corner with his dark eyes trained on me.

I bit my lips, feeling a shot of arousal momentarily hit me. It was as if my body was purposely disobeying me. My heart began to race and I had to forcefully tear my eyes away from his.

"Is he… I mean… she? How should I refer to this person?" Kaden placed his head on my shoulder as he quietly whispered.

I tilted my head towards him. "She is fine. Liz is nice. If you feel awkward about anything, just come clean with her. She might laugh at you, but it's all in good humour. She won't be offended."

"Good to know…" he mumbled back, feeling no less uncomfortable, as he quickly downed whatever concoction had been given to him. Perhaps the alcohol would loosen his nerves a little.

Liz called his attention back to her as she tried to get to know him. I wondered if she was finally slowly moving on from Tristan or if she was just trying to find a distraction. Either one would be good for her. Kaden was strictly into biological women, but like Liz, he didn't usually take much into offense. They would make a very amusing duo.

Outside of her room, she was pretty hard to read. Her mask was perfect. If only mine could be the same. I was an emotional wreck inside and I knew that it was heavily reflected in my haggard appearance.

I was in mismatched clothes and I hadn't even brushed my hair before throwing it into a frizzy ponytail. I was surprised that the couple with us weren't pointing and laughing at me.

"Hey! Are you falling asleep on me?" Kaden huffed, shrugging his shoulder and causing my head to bounce.

I hummed back at him. With my head still on his shoulder, my eyes began to droop.

…

He stared at the scene in front of him, wondering how angry she would be if he killed that man. Even if he did that, she had no one to blame but herself. How dare she take a lover so quickly after their… their _altercation_? That was unacceptable.

He would not allow it.

The wine glass in his hand shattered and he disappeared just before anyone looked his way!

Things had to be done.

That man didn't deserve her affection. HE didn't deserve her love. Once he skewered the bastard, he was going to hang him by his dick.

But how?

If he killed him in the hotel, there was a possibility that he'd be stuck here, causing more trouble than he was worth. There were enough lost spirits in his halls already. He didn't need more.

But how?

 _How?_

He kicked over the chair in his room before proceeding to sweep the items from the table. He had always kept the place clean and the flowers fresh in case she ever dropped by, but she never did. She had left him high and dry.

How could she still be holding a grudge? It had been a simple error on his part. She had given him a horrible shock. His reaction had been justified.

 _How could she still be angry?!_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Eek! What is March planning, now?

Thank you **kai-baekyun98, Vivi H88, ChromeMickii, KilalaInara, Applejax XD, Cosmo39, Brookie Twiling** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Yes! Of course, John is going to come back. I have much planned for him! I really miss writing about him, but really… I'm not to blame for the stupidity of his actions! This is his punishment for isolating himself!

 **Guest** : Here is a little break for her! Well… A little… I felt pretty bad for Scarlett in the show. Alex went running around for Holden, completely neglecting her. And then when John finally had some time with her, he went just a tad bit crazy! She must be more traumatised than anyone else in her family. It's a wonder how she turned out so normal in the end.

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Teehee… Alex is really going to get it! Can you really see James grovelling? How do you think it's going to play out? I think you might be a bit surprised how this turns out… (I'm feeling a little evil, right now).

They really need more Quicksilver in the X-Men movies. He is brilliant there! And I'm so glad they changed that hideous wig from the first movie he was in.

 **ChromeMickii** : Thank you, so much!

 **KilalaInara** : Hahaha! I'm so glad you liked that!

 **Applejax XD** : How does he fix _anything_? I think he's really still drowning in everything he's broken. When your most faithful servant calls the police on you and gets you to kill yourself… I think you've really done goof at that point (Not that he even knows that, yet, in this story).

 **Cosmo39** : Just a little bit of silent interaction between them, right now! John will come back… Soon. SOON! I promise!

 **Brookie Twiling** : I'm so glad that you like this story! I always feel like it's such a risk putting in some original plot into stories because I really don't know if anyone will like it.

I completely agree with you on John. What was he thinking? He had so many responsibilities and people who needed him! I don't think Madi is ever going to allow him and March to forget what they've done to her!

I really hope that by the end of this story, everything in Hotel that I've messed around with will still make sense and completely clear up. It's always a fear of mine to start plots that I want to elaborate on later on, but end up forgetting them because I waited too long and (poorly) planned too far ahead. I have notes on the top margins everywhere, but they kind of get lost.

Also… Here's more! But… you've already figured that out by now… Unless you strangely skip straight to the end to read this… Then… Well… I have nothing to say to that.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

I was relieved when Kaden was finally gone. He was fun to have around and normally, I would love to have the ball of energy lifting my mood, but I was at the point where nothing was able to claw me out of this deep, dark hole.

Going to the park was literally a pain. The sun was unpleasant on my skin, even with a thick layer of sunscreen. I remained working from the Hotel and at the nearby coffee shop to use their free internet. I knew the children could tell that I wasn't quite myself. They would whisper and look at me when they thought I wasn't paying any attention. I didn't blame them. It was as if I did everything because I had to. There was no enjoyment in anything, anymore.

Suddenly, I was woken up by arms grabbing me from my bed. When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing but darkness. As I screamed and shouted, no one came. The only other sound came from the rustling of clothing.

"Let me go!" I shouted. I couldn't hear the pulse of whoever was kidnapping me, but my own heart was pounding in my chest. "What do you want from me?" Hadn't I suffered enough? Why can't I just live my life? Why did everyone keep wanting to destroy it?

I let out a small cry when something hit my neck and a burning liquid was injected into me. My head became fuzzy as consciousness quickly slipped away.

 _I froze when I walked into the house. "Who the Hell are you?!"_

 _The blonde woman, who had been sitting on my couch, watching my television, looked up in shock at my sudden appearance. "It's only polite to introduce yourself first," she retorted, frowning at me when she realised that I wasn't going to attack her._

 _I still might…_

 _"No, it's only polite if_ _you_ _introduce yourself first because you're in_ _my fucking house_ _," I snarled. "And I want you gone from my home, right now!"_

 _Before I could throw her out, John walked into the room with two steaming mugs in his hands. "Hey, Madison. I didn't expect you back so soon."_

 _"Class ended early," I mumbled, glancing back at the woman who was now looking at my brother. "Who is she? Why is she here?"_

 _He smiled. "This is Alex. She's my girlfriend."_

 _I lifted an eyebrow at him. "_ _Her_ _?"_

 _Our first impression of each other had been less than ideal and it only got worse from there. I didn't know what she told her parents, but they hated me the instant I met them for dinner, one day. At least, I hadn't been the one who entered a stranger's house with all that snark._

 _I had tried my best to be kind to her because she had made my brother smile in a way that I had never seen before. He was so smitten with her_ _. It was cute. I only wished that he could've fallen in love with another woman who didn't have a stick up her ass._

 _The day of their wedding, I had only found out because John had called me. There were no formal invites. I hadn't had any time to find a dress, so I stood on his side, wondering why I had even come. No, I knew why. I was there for John._

 _And when Holden first came into this world, I had wanted nothing more than to see what my brother and his newly-wedded wife had created._

 _"I don't know what to do," John groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I love them, but Alex won't even let me hold my own son!"_

 _"I'm sorry?" I shook my head, trying to figure out if I had heard him properly. Surely, I was mistaken._

 _He let out a long sigh. "What am I going to do? I was so happy to finally be a father, but it feels as if I'm looking after a stranger's child – through a glass window!"_

 _"Hey, she'll come around," I said._

 _For him, it took a full month before Alex was comfortable enough to let him be alone with his son. For me… It was a good half a year later._

 _"_ _ **Touch my son and I'll kill you**_ _!" she suddenly snarled with her knife plunging down into me._

With a gasp, I jolted awake. The fear continued to thrum through me, heightening when I found myself still blindfolded, but now, my wrists and ankles were tied to something, leaving me eagle spread on the bed.

"Ah, what a sight you are," he purred. His hand ran down my body. I tried to shout at him, but only managed a few muffled sounds around the gag. The fear had greatly lessened when I realised that Alex was nowhere near me.

What was he playing at? Did he think that he could play with me as he did before? Did he really think that I was going to be alright with this?

"Oh? Nothing to say? Splendid! We shall proceed then," he went on, taking a hold of my button up pyjama top and easily tore it off.

His breath trailed up my body and stopped at my left breast. He laid his head on my chest. His smile could be felt against my skin. I mentally swore when I felt my nipples harden. I didn't want to react this way, but my body wasn't listening to me.

Everywhere he touched, he left a trail of tingles that made me twitch.

"Did you allow that buffoon to touch you? Did you like it? Did you scream his name like you did mine?" His moustache brushed my skin as he spoke. "I'll make you forget it all because you are _mine_."

With a swift motion, he rid me of my bra and latched his lips on to a stiff peak. My breath became caught in my throat.

His hand slipped into my pants, rubbing through the thin barrier to the slit that was weeping for him. "We wet for me already."

I let out a soft whine, still trying to squirm away from him, but there was nowhere to go. He chuckle at my futile attempts, enjoying seeing me helplessly splayed out in front of him.

"But you don't deserve my affection, do you? You've been bad. You've been _very, very_ bad, my dear," he whispered into my ear.

I forced myself not to react when he ripped the thin pyjama bottoms. I managed to keep still even when his tongue slid into me. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me come undone.

When he flicked his tongue on the bud of sensitive flesh, however, I felt my resolve falter. The pleasure shot straight up my spine. If the gag hadn't been in my mouth, I would've surely bitten my own tongue off. My body was completely rigid as I tried my very best not to react to his administration.

With one last teasing lap, he lifted his head and said, "There is no need to hide anything from me. I can see right through you."

He shifted above me and then, I felt the head of his member glide along my slick sex. Involuntarily, my body arched up, trying desperately to find relief that was not to be had.

I cursed at the betrayal and tried harder to remain stoic to his sinful actions, but when a soft, muffled moan slipped out, I knew that I was only delaying the inevitable.

"That's it, just let it go," he groaned, thrusting harder as if he was trying to break into my cervix. The pain felt good. I didn't want him to stop. I wanted to fully give into his – _our_ – desires.

"Don't worry. We will have many more moments just like this one," he promised.

I ground my hips against his, matching his rhythm. My self control had completely evaporated. The need was all I could concentrate on and there was no satisfying it.

When the world settled back down, I was barely able to register the bindings coming off. He rolled me on to my stomach. His hands lingered on every part of my body before he re-tied my wrists and ankles into a different position.

I buried my face into his pillow, missing the scent of him since our break.

He ran his hand down my back, stroking me as if I was a pet. "I have a surprise for you, my dear."

"Mm…"

The door quietly opened and I could hear the faint footsteps on carpet approaching the bed. The mattress dipped down on the other side. Who was it?

The hand was slightly more calloused and warm, almost hot, as it ran down my back. It was frightening, yet at the same time to know that there was a stranger looking at my body. When a finger slid down to my slit, I could feel the desire in its touch as it could feel my own desire oozing out of me.

"This shall be an absolute delight!" I heard James exclaim with glee. "On your knees!" he ordered.

The bindings loosened enough for me to follow his instructions, but nothing more.

I wantonly wiggled my bottom and was quickly rewarded with a long finger sliding into me. My breathy gasps made the man chuckle.

Immediately, I froze. It couldn't be. I was imagining things. I _had_ to be. He was still in the hospital doing who knows what – probably nothing but read because that was all he did with those cases back then.

"Do you like my surprise for you?" James whispered, tilting my chin up. His hands went around my head and finally removed the gag from my mouth.

"J-John?" I gasped, tugging at my bindings to try to feel him.

I felt his hands on my hips. Something hot brushed against me. "Why do you sound so afraid?" There was something dark and ominous in his voice. It sounded nothing like the John I knew. This wasn't the brother who was always determined to do the right thing. He wasn't the brother who always made sure that I was still on the straight path and didn't do a thing out of line.

No.

This was a man who was dripping with sin. The way his fingers dug into my flesh made me feel very little more than an item to be possessed and used. His words promised a night of wicked pleasures.

"Have you missed me?" He leaned over, pressing himself against my back. I could feel every inch of his body and the stubble on his face rubbing against mine.

He smelled like cheap hotel soap and shampoo. His hair was still slightly damp and cold.

"Of course, I did!" I exclaimed, giving a slight whine when James nipped at my earlobe. "You wouldn't see me even for a minute! I had so much to tell you. Holden – " I was cut off when the head of his swollen cock pushed into me. "W-Wait. We can't – " I let out a cry when he plunged fully into me. "Oh, God… John!" It was so hard to think with him buried so deep inside. "Your… Your son…"

He wrapped his hand around over my mouth. "Shh… I know."

And did he know what we were doing?!

"Open up, dear. I think I've had enough of chitchat." With that, the hand slipped away and James pushed into my mouth. I immediately began to gag and tried to get away, but he took a fistful of my hair and pulled my head forward. He was so deep that I could feel him bulge in my throat, making me choke. I tried futilely to struggle away. This was too much! My head was still trying to wrap around John's presence.

Sandwich between them, I was completely at their mercy.

"We'll make you remember," James groaned. "All those wondrous nights we had together. Oh, darling, I'd say that it'd make you brush, but you are quite the wildcat."

I let out a whine. The vibrations made him gasp before he roughly pulled my hair back. His member slid out, resting on my bottom lip.

Without it, I was free to cry and scream and moan. "I – I can't…"

"No, no. I don't like to hear that." He smashed his lips on mine, taking away whatever coherency that was left in me. With all my senses occupied, I could do nothing but concede to their wills.

I knew that I should've been appalled by my own wantonness, but what they were doing to me, I never wanted to stop. The lack of all form of control was an otherworldly pleasure all in itself.

While they used me, I was nothing more than a moaning mess of lust. I needed more.

 _"You're absolutely drunk, John!" I hissed, trying my best to guide the stumbling man to his room. I had found him at the hotel bar, again. It was always heartbreaking seeing him in such a pitiful state, but I didn't know what to do. I had tried everything – try to convince him to go camping, road trips, shopping, games, something to distract him from this madness, but_ _nothing_ _worked, so I allowed him to do this to himself, even though it hurt every time._

 _He staggered to the side, catching himself on the wall._

 _I quickly moved to help him regain balance, but of course, he over compensated and pushed us both down._

 _With much difficulty, I shoved him off me and somehow managed to half drag and half carry him into the room. He definitely made no attempts to make it easy for me. "Get a grip on yourself!" I groaned, tugging at his shoes. Even though this was his bed, it was still a disgusting habit._

 _It annoyed me to no end when he placed those dirty things everywhere e- beds, tables, couches, chairs… How hard was it to just kick them off?_

 _Granted, he was more likely to kick himself in the shins at his current state. "Alright, you big baby…"_

 _As I bent over to pull the covers on top of him, he seized my wrist. The alcohol in his breath was enough to make me feel nauseated. How much did he drink?! By the time Liz had called me, he was already in a state that made me nervous and I had done a lot of shit in the past._

 _"Why…?" he mumbled. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with so much torment that I had to look away. "How did my life become like this? I always tried to do my best. I gave them everything I could. Why can't I be enough?"_

 _Swallowing hard, I used my free hand to brush back his messy hair._

 _"Is there something wrong with me?"_

 _I shook my head. 'There's nothing wrong with you." My voice wavered and cracked. This was the brother who always stood proud and strong through everything. Seeing him like this just wasn't right. "It's them. They don't' know what they have. They don't understand how good they have it."_

 _His hand fell back on to the bed and just as I turned to leave, I was grabbed, again. I fell haphazardly on to the bed on top of him._

 _"John, what are you doing?!" I exclaimed in shock._

 _"Don't go…" he mumbled. "I need someone who loves me. I need to feel like I actually matter…"_

 _With a sigh, I shifted until I was more comfortably on the bed beside him. His arms remained around my waist as I waited for him to fall asleep first before I followed suited._

 _Eventually, I joined him in some of his drunken pity parties. Ignoring Liz's disapproving glares, we spent many nights in the bar. There were days where it felt as if nothing was worth living for, so I took it out on my liver. It was a bad habit I easily fell back into. I wasn't strong enough to carry us both. We both only managed to fuel each other's poor choices._

 _Unfortunately, with both our lack of inhibition, we began to explore possibilities of satisfying what we couldn't find from anyone else – the need to truly be loved._

 _He pushed me against the wall of the room where no one could see what we were doing. His hand trailed up and grabbed at my bra-clad breasts. His lips were on mine as we indulged in the warmth the other provided._

 _Perhaps it was the need to finally give up control, yet try to control the other at the same time that made this so tantalising._

 _I let out a gasp when he bit my neck, nibbling at the soft flesh. When he ground his pelvis against mine, I wrapped my legs around him, allowing him to carry me to the bed where we both collapsed on to the old, lumpy mattress._

 _He hastily made do with the buttons of my blouse and I did the same for him. The stubbles on his face left a trail of tingles on my oversensitive skin._

 _Even with our bare flesh pressed against each other, it still wasn't enough. I needed more. Just one step more…_

 _I tugged at the belt, frustrated that it wasn't coming off fast enough. He quickly helped, throwing his clothes somewhere behind him before working on mine._

 _When the two of us were completely naked, there was nothing to stop us from going all the way. He lifted my legs over his shoulder and thrust deep into me._

 _The intrusion left me reeling. It had been a while since my last partner. I hadn't been stretched like this before. He was larger than anyone else I had been with._

 _"J-John!" I cried out, looking into his flushed face and crazed eyes. There was something different about him. Something had happened that triggered this metamorphosis._

 _His lips twisted into a smirk as he kissed my leg. Not once did his pace falter. He kept going even when I came, screaming his name. He kept going even when I pleaded with him that my body could take no more._

 _And once the barrier was broken between us, nothing could be done to satiate this new hunger that dwell deep within us. It was then that we encountered a man who fuelled this crabbing. He introduced us to a new world filled with blood, sex, and pleasure._

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! This chapter came a day later. We lost power, last night, so I never managed to finish typing this.

As you can tell, John is finally back! I know some of you have been asking for him for a while now.

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, Vivi H88,** guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : Sorry, James doesn't quite know how to apologise. I picture him as someone who always takes, but maybe he'll learn… In regards to Holden and John, you'll just have to wait and see!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Hahaha! I like Kaden, too! I can't guarantee his survival, but he'll pop back in sometime later. There will also be more of Holden and Scarlett interactions in future chapters!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Hmm… That's true, but I hated it when he lowered himself for the Countess. Urk… Don't worry, I have things planned for both her and Alex! Also, I haven't seen Deadpool 2, yet! My friend and I are trying to make time for it sometime in the future, but it'll happen!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you so much!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

He thought he would've found the answers that he was looking for when he discovered the young girl in the guarded ward. He thought he had been closing in on something, until the girl ran into the streets in front of a car.

The shock of what she had done confounded him, but her parting words echoed in his head.

 _"… Take me to him," he demanded as soon as he had done what she asked. They had somehow managed to escape undetected. When she said nothing back, he gave her another nudge. "Wren…"_

 _"Then we need to go home," she said, looking down at her feet._

 _He frowned. "Where?"_

 _"The Cortez."_

 _Of course, he should've known._ _Everything_ _led to there, but_ _why_ _? "Alright, don't be afraid," he told her. "When I find him, I'm gonna bury him in a hole so deep, he'll never see the light of day." He clenched his hand, thinking of all the people the Ten Commandment Killer had murdered. "It's time to make him stop."_

 _She let out a soft, audible sigh and turned to look at him with wide, innocent eyes. How could someone like her be an accomplice to such a cruel, serial killer? It was unfathomable. "Will you kill him?" It sounded as if she was still attached to the man who had manipulated her – a fiend would use a child like this?_

 _Stockholm Syndrome…_

 _It was more common than most people would've expected. "If I have to," he said. Of course, he was going to kill the motherfucker, but he wasn't going to tell her that. She had had enough trauma to last a lifetime._

 _She gave him a small smile. "I really like you."_

 _He smiled back at her._

 _"I hate to see it end."_

 _Her eyes flickered to the side._

 _"Good-bye, John."_

 _And then, she was gone._

 _He should've seen it coming. Thinking about it now, her body language should've made her actions obvious. He should've been able to stop her._

He tried to piece together everything that she had said as the officers arrived to the scene. They routinely questioned him and he fully complied, telling them who he was and following them to the station to give a formal statement.

Everything around him moved like a blur. It was as if the things he saw around him suddenly had different meanings. The desk he always walked by had been cluttered with photographs of the Ten Commandment Kills' murders. The images popped out and almost spoke to him, now.

He glanced at his old office that was already being occupied by some random detective. Al those all nights he had spent there, burning photographs in the garbage bin. There was a permanent singe mark beneath the desk where the bin had been. He was surprised that he hadn't managed to trigger the fire alarm.

His eyes swept over to the man he had called his best friend.

"Sir? Mr. Lowe?" He turned back to the man sitting across room him. "Thank you for coming with us and giving us your statement. You have been extremely helpful and I also have some good news for you. We contacted your doctor and even though he wasn't quite sure how exactly you ended up outside, he seemed confident that you are ready to re-assimilate with the rest of the world, again. If you'd like, I can have the lieutenant do another psych-evaluation for y – "

"No, it's fine," he mumbled. His eyes had settled back on Andy. His job here was no long significant. There were other things he had to do. Besides, he was done with the lieutenant. "Am I free to go, now?"

"Of course!" The officer smiled at him as he stood up and went over to his _friend_.

"Andy. Andy!" he called out.

Andy turned to look at him. His face immediately split into his usual charismatic grin. "John! Hey, how are you? I hope you're doing better. The lieutenant told us what happened. I was really sad to see you go."

"Yes, I'm feeling better, but I have some things I wanted to discuss with you," he replied. His lips twisted into a wide grin, trying to mirror the other man.

They both got into Andy's car and made their way to the morgue. "You know, I really shouldn't be doing this. You're just a civilian, now. You have no business seeing the body."

"I know, but you know that I need to do this," he replied, staring straight ahead. "I have to tell you what I've found out."

They arrived at the morgue and after Andy vouched for the both of them; they went into the basement where Wren was laying on the cold, metal table. Her child-like features remained, giving her the resemblance of a porcelain doll.

 _"John, I don't want to do this, anymore," she pleaded, clutching his blood-soaked sleeve. "I want it to stop!"_

 _He dropped the dented Oscar on to the floor. "Don't you see, Wren? People like him deserve to be properly punished, not receive a small slap on the wrist and be sent on their way!"_

 _He wanted to make her see that he was doing this for the children of the future. He was doing this for her. He was doing this for his son and daughter. These monsters could hurt them. He only wanted to make this world a better place and pedophiles didn't belong there._

She had been too good – too innocent – for this world and that was why he had to continue this.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Andy asked, looking grimly at the corpse.

John closed his eyes as each memory rushed at him. He could recall all those drunken nights and waking up naked. At first, he tried to figure out who he had lain with, but one moment of clarity revealed the mystery woman. He could recall so vividly the soft, pale body of his sister.

At first, she had been a distraction from everything that was wrong with his life. The very forbidden nature of their activities was exhilarating. Every bit of her pulled him further and further into the sin. He needed more, but the more he took, the more he wanted – needed – and the more he realised that this was never going to end. He was never going to be able to satiate this hunger.

Realising that his entire life was quickly spiralling out of control, he tried to take his own life in the bathroom of Room 64, but someone had been watching him the entire time – a voyeur who observed his every sin.

 _Sally McKenna_.

She had taken the noose from his neck and forced life back into his body. She had expressed her silent interest in him ever since his arrival, so he took her that night. He watched her moan and scream as he roughly pound into her from behind, but it wasn't the same. Not even closing his eyes helped.

The raspy voice from damaged vocal cords, the needle scars, and the hideous smell of cigarettes that seemed to permanently cling on to her flesh… No amount of showering or bathing could get it off her.

It wasn't long before he put an end to the tryst and went back to indulging himself on his most guilty pleasure. Her sweet cries that had him hard and ready at all times of the day.

"John, are you still there?" Andy asked, giving him a concerned look. "Do you want me to call your doctor? Your sister?

Funny how he didn't mention his wife.

"Never better," he replied. "There's no need to call anyone because there's nothing wrong with me. In fact, everything has never been so clear.

Andy frowned. He could tell that there was something very disconcerting about the man in front of him. His instincts were telling him to run or take down the threat, but this was his friend. There were many things that he disagreed with John, starting with how he treated his wife, but it wasn't his place to chastise him. He could make his own decisions and deal with the consequences.

He remained silent as John began to sprout out nonsense. That was he raving about? Sally McKenna? If he remembered correctly, that druggy died decades ago! Why couldn't he see that he was still very, very sick? As a friend, he tried his best to guide him to seeking help, but obviously, that was not enough.

"John, calm down. Take a deep breath," he said. "Do you want to go back to the car?"

John finally grew silent, so he turned away to try to defuse the awkward situation he had somehow gotten himself into. It really didn't pay to be nice.

The former cop gritted his teeth. False concerns were worse than no concerns, at all, but that was all the bastard was good for.

"Alex is beautiful, isn't she?" he suddenly said. "She's dedicated and smart." He intently watched the back of his larger fiend, the way the muscles seemed to tense when he spoke of his wife. " _My_ wife was a good mother… Dedicated… _Loyal_ … Or so, I liked to think. I guess I should've asked you. You would've known more than me, wouldn't you?"

Andy frowned, turning around to look at his enraged companion. "I don't know what you mean. You are allowing your paranoia to cloud your mind." John couldn't know, could he? They had been very careful, but it hadn't been hard when all he did was work, leaving his family behind.

The only thing Andy had to do was head straight to John's place where the neglected wife waited for him.

"No… my mind is perfectly clear. More so than it has in years," he mumbled. "I can see all the injustices around me." With narrowed eyes, he glared at Andy who swallowed nervously back at him. "Did you enjoy _fucking_ my wife, Andy?!"

He grabbed the scalpel by the body and lunged at his friend who only managed to stumble to the side before he was knocked over. The crazed man had moved in a way that made him unpredictable. The sharp blade pierced over and over again into the mass of toned muscles.

With his dying breath, Andy spat out, "You… never deserved… her…"

Breathing heavily, he got off the body, wiped away his fingerprints on everything, and left.

Outside, he took out the short note that was given to him by one of the nurses.

" _Holden is alive in the Hotel. Alex knew before you went into the hospital. Miss you lots. Come home, soon. – Madison."_

The news had angered him, at first. He had been devastated for years after Holden's disappearance. Was it so wrong to expect the courtesy of actually being told by his wife that his son was still alive?

Fortunately, he had other things occupying his mind. He had completely committed himself to finding the Ten Commandment Killer and finally found what he had been looking for.

Now, he had other things to do.

He strolled into the Hotel, finally realizing why this place felt like home. "Iris." He nodded his head with a smirk on his face.

"Y-You remember?" she replied in disbelief. "Oh, thank God… You really don't know how exhausting it is."

When he arrived in Room 64, he went straight into the secret room behind the dresser and placed his new trophy into the jar filled with formaldehyde, beside the many hours he had collected over the years.

"Only two more to go," he heard a purr behind him.

"Yes. It will be complete, soon," he replied.

James chuckled. "Welcome back, my good sir! I _do_ have such a splendid surprise for you."

"What is it?" he asked. He never liked surprises. There were too many variables – too many things that could go wrong.

"Well, I can't tell you or it won't be a surprise! However, I can assure you that you shall not be disappointed." James led him up to the finer suite on the next floor up. Inside, he was immediately greeted with a glorious sight.

Pale skin was fully exposed, ready for him. He quietly walked over with a smirk on his face. His eyes darkened with desire.

He ran his hand down her body, feeling himself grow hard as she twitched, wondering what was happening. As far as he knew, she was still in the dark as he had been just hours ago.

It had been far too long since he was able to fully enjoy her.

Quickly, he shed his ruffled clothing and ran his hand through his hair. James gave him a hearty pat on the shoulders.

"This shall be an absolute delight!" James chortled. "On your knees!" The man readjusted the bindings so that she was able to comply, wiggling hr bottom at them as she did so.

He bent so, quietly laughing to himself as she nearly jumped out of her skin when she finally recognized him by his voice.

With her completely at his mercy, he was determined to ravish her.

As he slammed in, he let out a low groan. His body automatically knew what was going to come with those tight walls clamping tightly around his member. She pushed back against him, deepening the contact. It was obvious that after a few half-hearted protests, she was going to bend to his will as she always did.

She may be stubborn and bossy at work and every other waking moment during the day, but in bed, she was an absolute submissive. She loved to be manipulated and controlled and he was going to give it all to her.

Lost in his own pleasure, he sucked in a deep breath when a cold hand ran down his back before caressing his balls.

"Let us make this into a night we shall never forget, shall we?" James purred.

John grinned back at him. A moment later, their lips were locked together. Two alpha males began to fight for dominance. It was a game they liked to play. Both of them were control freaks, but their lust kept them together.

They'd fight until one of them gave up and they'd continue to indulge in each other.

"Mmph!"

James broke away first to leer at the captive. "Looks like our little bird is feeling neglected. Does she deserve to be set free? She's been quite the naughty thing."

John looked back at the squirming form beneath him. He thrust deep into her once more time before leaning over and began to untie the bindings around her wrists. He could feel James do the same with her ankles.

Once she was freed, he flipped her over, removed her gag, and bent down to consume one of her nipples. Her sharp cries sped up with the timing of his thrusts.

James brushed her hair back, placing a kiss on her temple. "Shh… allow us to worship you." He managed to slip beneath her and guided his cock between her cheeks.

John paused to watch the other man enter her from behind. She was pushed up, closer against him before her weight slid back down, burying the second cock deep with inside.

He shuddered when he felt the member against the thin wall, barely separating them.

She shook her head, her chest heaving up and down quickly as they found their rhythm.

John could feel himself close as they moved together. This was heaven. This was the greatest feeling. Not even killing Andy gave him such a thrill. Perhaps it was because his love for his wife had long since died. The murder served its purpose, but that was it.

"Fuck, Madi…" James groaned, burying his face into her neck from behind, while she buried her teeth into his.

Feeling the convulsions from both his partners, he fell with them, releasing deep within her.

Even long after her body stopped shaking, she continued to sensually suck on his neck. He was twitching again inside her, but his body had nothing more to give.

With a content sigh, he slide out and slid down beside them, pulling her against his chest. Her lips finally departed from his neck, but she gave him one final lick.

"I love you," he mumbled, breathing her in.

After the blindfold was taken off, she blinked blearily at him. "'Love you, too."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

From what I have planned, now, this could end up being my longest story in the series, thus far. I'm not quite ready to let them go, yet.

Thank you **Vivi H88, Mystery Angle, BOOdalinkski, kai-baekyun98, Brookie Twiling** , guest ( **Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Guest** : Teehee… Dark John is a lot more fun to write. I just hope that I don't end up making any of them too out of character with this new change! I have so much planned for them, right now, but it's kind of all over the place.

 **Mystery Angle** : Regarding Queenie… I guess you just have to wait and seeeee~!

 **BOOdalinkski** : Come over to the dark side… Hmmm… Mohn sounds kinda strange, but I like Jadison… Kinda adds James into the mix, too.

 **kai-baekyun98** : HAHA! I'm so glad you're okay with it! I know that it was going to be risky doing this and ah… what a life it is… But her brother is kind of a psycho murderer, too…

 **Brookie Twiling** : Oops… At least the chapter is here, now? Just another week to wait for the next one is all xD You can do it!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

I let out a groan when I woke from deep slumber. My body was screaming for me to go back to sleep, but my brain was in that horrible state of trying to fully awaken with the sandman's sand still heavy on my eyes. It didn't help that the warmth around me was the most comfortable sensation I had ever felt.

With a content sigh, I buried my face closer against his chest, listening to the sound of his heart rhythmically lulling me back to sleep.

 _Thump… Thump…._

My eyes snapped open as I realised that something was wrong. James didn't have a heartbeat. He was fuckin' dead! He was also still _not_ forgiven!

When I gaze upon his stubbled face, I slowly remember what had happened – what we had done. I wanted to think that I was fine because we had already done it so many times before, but it wasn't. We were siblings and this was wrong.

 _This was wrong!_

"Good morning, gorgeous," the purr that came from behind me made my heart skip a beat. His hand trailed down my body, resting at my navel. The heat spread like wildfire, leaving me practically breathless.

"James…" I moaned when he nuzzled my neck. His moustache tickled my skin. His hand cupped my breasts, causing me to buckle against him. "I can't…" The soreness nagged at me, but I was already wet and wanting.

Completely ignoring my verbal protests, he entered me from behind. He moved slowly. It was a strange pace for him. He was usually fast and ruthless.

"I'm sorry, Madi," he whispered, holding me close. "I'm sorry for what I said. Don't leave me. Don't ignore me."

I tilted my head back, sighing as we went at a leisurely pace. Whether I forgave him or not was up to him.

"Starting without me?" John growled.

As I looked back at him, I let out a low moan, seeing the way his dark blue eyes were watching me. When he leaned over, I felt the familiar new craving bubble up. "J-John…!" I wanted to tell him to stop, but at that very moment, James slammed into my g spot and my body spasmed against them.

Suddenly, I could smell and taste the delicious red liquid. It filed my senses, mixing with the pleasure of James still moving and groaning into my ears.

"Shit!" John gritted out, grinding himself against me as I continued to drink from him.

Just as I thought that I was hurting him, he tilted his head to allow me more access. His groans encouraged me to keep taking and taking.

I reached between us and began to stroke him in time with James' quickening thrusts.

My eyes fluttered as I reached my second release. Both John and James buckled against me. Warm seed splashed on to my stomach and inside me.

"Better let him go, darling, before you drain him dry," James whispered, gently pulling me away from the delectable substance that filled me up with such warmth…

"Sorry," I mumbled half-heartedly, licking my lips.

John closed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment between looking at me, once more. "When did it happen?" he mumbled, running a thumb across my lips, wiping away the remaining red and seeing the elongated incisors in my mouth.

I nearly bit his finger as I glared at him. "When you were in the stupid loony bin and refused to see me!"

A frown marred his handsome features. "What do you mean?"

"I was so angry at you and…" I turned my head to switch my glare to James who lifted an eyebrow back at me. " _You_."

"Me?" James asked, incredulous. "What had _I_ done, at the time?" _At the_ time. He knew he had done something wrong after, but his hand running up and down the side of my body was beginning to make it difficult to think.

I quickly brushed him off. He wasn't going to get away so easily. "I thought you were playing me – you and that blonde bitch. I thought you and her were laughing at me during your stupid dinners!"

He groaned, "No, no… I was going to end it with her that night. I've stopped those monthly meetings. Why did you not just ask me?"

"Well, I never had a chance, now, did I? Not before I got into the stupid accident ant then, you called me a fuckin' monster," I hissed, feeling those hateful emotions bubbling back up.

Suddenly, there was a loud thumb and curses.

I looked to see rage darkening John's face. His hand was still extended and clenched into a tight fist.

"I will not have you insulting my sister," he growled, pulling me close against him.

I closed my eyes, feeling like a young child in his arms.

I allowed them to go on, until John was about to get out of bed and beat up the other man. "Stop!"

He immediately set his eyes on me. "Madison – "

"No," I firmly stated. "I won't have the two of you fighting because of me, but that does _not_ mean he's forgiven." I sat up to turn to James who was on his feet, bracing himself with narrowed eyes. "You have a _lot_ of making up to do, buddy."

His body relaxed. "Anything, Madi." He leaned down, running his hand through my tangled locks. "I will be sure to regain your trust, once more."

I nodded. "You do that."

He moved further to kiss me, but I pushed his face away with my hand. "There's a lot of making up to do and I won't hurt you like you hurt me, but don't think that you won't be punished."

As he stared at me in shock, I pulled John into a kiss before jumping out of bed. I could feel both pairs of eyes on me as I scurried around trying to find my clothes. What had he done to them? Why were they everywhere?!

Once I was fully dressed, I looked at them once last time. "I'll see you later. There's a company meeting I Have to prepare for tomorrow, but I have to get to the office." Before closing the door, I turned to John. "Oh, and Scarlet is probably in our old room. Holden is with Iris the last I knew before _someone_ took me against my will. Be careful of Alex. She's kind of turned into a murderous bitch and I wouldn't rust anything she has to say. Alright, bye!"

"What…?" John gaped back at me, but I merely smiled and slipped off.

Despite the morning row, I was in a very good mood. The aches and pains from the strenuous activities were already gone. I had a feeling that there were going to be many more nights like that and I was excited for them.

When I arrived in my office, I was feeling like myself, again. It had been a while since I was here. There were several new faces, watching me curiously as I walked by. I was going to have to ask Kaden about them later.

For now, I had to re-situate myself with my own surrounds. It seemed so long ago since the last time I had a normal work day.

"Shit! You're actually here!" Kaden exclaimed as soon as he burst into my room. How had he found out so quickly?

"Hello to you, too." I glared at the offending shoes that were on my desk. "Can you not? I just got back in here. I don't want to have to wipe my desk because of your nasty behavior."

"Never thought I'd miss your nagging so much," he replied, refusing to move his feet anywhere.

I sighed. "How did the negotiations go? The last I heard, they were still rather skeptical." They had sent an email, expressing their "concerns" with our protection. I was sure they only wanted to whine, until we agreed to cut them a deal with more perks, but that was not going to happen. They could take it or leave it. I wasn't about to give them special treatment because they were greedy bastards.

He shrugged. "Same as before. They're still indecisive."

"Make it time sensitive. I am done with waiting. We do not need their business. They can ask for protection elsewhere if they are unhappy with what we have to offer," I told him. A part of me wanted to send a virus their way, but it would be too suspicious when the negotiations were still in progress.

"Ooh… I missed you." He smirked.

We spoke more about future deals before moving on to the meeting schedule. There were many things to go over. There were numerous new features that I wanted to add, but with new things meant new problems. I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth trying if we were going to lose the trust of our consumers.

"Are you okay?" he suddenly asked as I was mauling over paperwork.

"What do you mean?" I asked, flipping to the next page.

"I don't know… I feel as if you're a little different every time I see you and… _I don't know!_ " He let out a loud groan of frustration.

I ran a hand through my hair. "My life has changed somewhat, but I'm really still the same person I always am." I pushed away the thought of James' lingering words. It was silly, but I couldn't seem to get rid of them. I was constantly self-conscious of everything I do, to see if I was actually behaving out of character.

"Yeah… Just tell me if something is wrong."

I appreciated his concern, but I was becoming tired of repeating myself over and over again. There was nothing he could do to help me. I just had to make sure that I wasn't going to lose myself in the fight for survival.

"Don't be late, tomorrow," I told him, knowing how much he hated meetings.

He snickered. "It's not me you should be worried about, now."

Indeed. My attendance in general had been lacking, but with John back, I had full intentions to have everything go back to normal.

This stupid virus wasn't going to get the best of me.

By the time I left the office, everyone was already gone. I had done quite a bit making the alpha version of my program. Even if everyone else didn't agree with it, I was still going to do some testing myself.

"You're home late," James scolded. "I do not like this. You cannot return back to your atrocious schedule."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "It's not as if you have any pressing matters to tend to. You have all night to stare at me."

He narrowed his eyes. "This boldness is also highly unappreciated."

"As are your grievances. Do I have to remind you that you are still in the shit house?" I threw my bag on to the floor and shed my clothes. I hated having to dress in the stiff work attire, especially now when it felt as if I could feel every fibre scratch along my skin.

James groaned, pressing his nose against my neck. 'I have dinner prepared." He led me over to the dining table before I could even find something to wear. He seemed more than happy to see me eat in only my undergarments.

"Iris and Liz destroyed the kitchen making this," he told me as he lifted the closh. "Ms. Evers seems to have disappeared somewhere." He continued to mumble to himself as he wondered where his faithful maid had gone.

It seemed obvious to me, but he could be so unbelievably oblivious sometimes. Ms. Evers was completely infatuated with him and she was most likely fuming somewhere.

Looking down, it took me a moment to even figure out what was on the plate. It appeared to be a lump of flesh in a pool of blood, but it smelled good. If only the sight didn't turn my stomach. "Wh… I-Is this… beef?" I poked nervously at it, wondering if it was going to retaliate.

James looked uncertainly at it. "It could be?" There was a look of disgust on his face as he cleared his throat. 'I'll get them to make you something else."

"No, it's fine." I didn't want to disappoint them. They must've spent so long trying to make this. The least I could do was taste it.

Stabbing the blood lump with my fork, I nearly gagged at the way it went in. This was so wrong…

Once it was in a small cube-like shape, I let out a deep breath before putting it into my mouth. Immediately, I felt my stomach turn and I knew that this wasn't going to end well.

I spat the meat back out and ran into the bathroom, promptly losing anything that was in my stomach. The stench of bile made everything ten times worse. What they made was entirely inedible. Had Iris even tried any of it?

When the nausea momentarily lessened, I quickly brushed my teeth to rid of any remnants that may be stuck in my teeth. I didn't want to, but I was going to have to tell them never to make this again.

Walking out, I heard James on the hotel phone. He was shouting loudly at the person on the other side. "You just made her vomit! Just the sight nearly made me do the same. If you don't want to be thrown out into the streets, I'd heavily advise you to – "

I snatched the phone away from him. 'I appreciate your effort, but I think something normal and a glass of… of blood will do."

"Sorry, Madison," Iris apologized profusely. "It smelled good, so I thought it would taste good, too."

"No worries. If you'd like, maybe I can bring back some food next time. Have you eaten at any of the restaurants around here?" I was trying to remember all the places I drive by on a regular basis.

"Oh, no. I never have any time and I don't really get paid," she replied.

I glared at James who looked back at me in confusion. "What do you mean you don't get paid? That is unacceptable!"

He raised his hands, shaking his head at me. "I don't own the hotel anymore, remember? Besides, I'm dead. How exactly am I going to pay anyone?"

With a huff, I said a quickly goodbye to Iris before making my way out. 'Come on. You're going to show me where this _Will Drake_ is staying. I won't allow him to treat my friends like slaves! I'll fuckin' _ruin_ him!" How dare he think that he could get away with no paying his staff? That was preposterous!

James watched in amusement as I stormed into the hall with his hand tightly in mine.

"You're going the wrong way, darling," he eventually said. "I believe I Should be the one leading? But if you'd like to remain as we are now, I have no qualms. The view is quite lovely."

I turned my head to glare at him. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

The mirth on his face never wavered as I scolded him. "This way, my love." He exaggeratedly gestured with his other hand.

Suppressing a pout, I followed him towards the opposite direction. When we stopped, James disappeared and I knocked angrily at the door, waiting until it opened.

The dark-haired man frowned at me. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, you can," I growled. "Between two business owners, I think there are some concerns that we must go over."

He shook his head. "If you want to talk, make an appointment with my assistant."

Before he could close the door on me, I shouted, "Did you know that none of your staff are being paid?!"

He froze. There was an honest look of shock on his face that made me realize that he didn't know. Of course, not. The blonde bitch had owned the hotel before. Perhaps he would bring it up to her because I wasn't sure if she could still end up wiping my memories, again. I had had enough of her scrambling my brain.

I watched as he slowly closed the door, not saying another word to me.

"I thought that went well!" James snickered, flickering back into visibility.

I whacked his arm and before I could retract my hand, he seized it, pulling me against his chest. "If not, I know what might make your day better."

With a shake of my head, I allowed him to tug me back into his room. "Where's John?" I asked, tugging at his shirt.

James hummed into my bare shoulder. "Am I not enough for you, now?"

I let out a breathy gasp as he slid a long finger into me. "J-Just curious."

He slammed me into the wall and entered me in one hard thrust. "If you must know, he's keeping the brats occupied, while we fuck. What a great man! He's taking one for the team! I knew I like him for a reason!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, Vivi H88, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Thank you so much! Just another week for Chapter Twenty-Five!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Aww… Now I'm curious what you had said last chapter, but no problem! Sorry, just a bit of a filler chapter this time, but things will definitely pick up soon! I do enjoy writing this Madi more where she hasn't taken as much as a passive role, which I kinda think is what happened with the previous Madis. No worries about being late for the review. I hope everything goes well during the family event!

 **Guest** : Teehee… Yes, John still cares very much for Madi.

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you so, so much!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

"Alright, come back here, Holden!" I called out to the small boy who was running towards a dog in the park. It was a cloudy day, so I wasn't worried about him burning, but I was concerned for the poor animal that was oblivious to the fact that it was so close to death. "Holden!"

Why couldn't he be more like his sister?

I glanced over to the blonde girl who was swinging by herself. She had headed straight there, while Holden saw the puppy and wouldn't let go of it.

"It's fine, Cassie is friendly. You don't have to worry about your boy," the owner stated, just as clueless as his pet. He was a handsome man with well defined leg muscles. His chocolate hair was plastered to his face. Sweat was trailing down to his hazel eyes. As he smiled charmingly at me, all I could do was think of the blood rushing through his veins.

 _Thump. Thump._

 _Thump. Thump._

Not even the scent of sweat was able to keep my mind off of it.

 _Thump. Thump._

 _Thump. Thump._

"I think it's time we leave." John had wound his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. His cop glare made the other man shift uncomfortably in place.

"Right," came the reply. "Cassie, let's go!"

Holden tightened his arms around the dog and causing it to whine. "Holden, let it go!" John shouted, walking over to his son and scooping him up.

The small boy's eyes welled up in tears as he stretched his short arms towards the animal that had finally sensed the danger it was in and scampered off to its owner.

Even well-fed, it was so difficult to control myself. I couldn't imagine what it must've been like for a young child. Sometimes, I wondered if I would one day forget to stop and drain John dry. "Do you need to go back?" he mumbled into my ears.

I shook my head. "Do you want ice cream, guys?" I asked the two children who cheered happily, running towards the ice cream truck that was parked nearby.

John kissed the top of my head. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I shouldn't have pushed you away. Perhaps then, you wouldn't have…"

"Do you see me any differently than before?" I really didn't want this virus to define who I was and I needed them all to understand that. It seemed as if they were tiptoeing around the subject, while I really didn't have a problem with it. I just didn't want to be judged for this strange mutation.

He chuckled. "No, you know how much I love it when you drink from me." He fiddled with his high collars. "But I didn't want to be the cause of the accident." He pulled out his wallet and paid for the cold treats.

"It's not your fault," I told him. "I've really just been waiting for an 'I told you so.'"

"I really wished that I hadn't allowed Alex to push me to make that decision, even though it did make me finally remember. Your driving skills, however… I think _that_ comes unspoken with how poor it is, but if it makes you feel better… _I told you so_." He smirked at me.

I whacked his arm. "Shut up. I have a new car, now. I think you're just jealous."

"Auntie Madi!" Holden, with ice cream all over his face, lifted his arms and I effortlessly picked him up. Before, my very out of shape body would struggle with this, but now, it was as if he weighed nothing. I was really starting to like some of these perks.

After quickly wiping his face and hands, we took a stroll around the neighbourhood before I stopped in front of a house. "Hold on. I need to do something." I handed Holden to John who looked questioningly at me.

I went up to the house and knocked on the door, but no one answered. "Morgan?" I knocked again and even walked to the backyard. He was nowhere to be seen.

Now that I had more time to settle into this body, I realised how rude I had been to the man who had saved my life. There was no doubt in my mind that he somehow knew me. I wanted to know exactly how. There was absolutely no way I wouldn't remember someone like him.

"Never mind… He's not here," I mumbled to them when I returned to the sidewalk.

"Who is he?" John frowned, glaring at the plain-looking house.

"He saved my life," I said. The man's phone number was saved in my new phone, but calling him to show my gratitude didn't seem like it was enough. I had to see him, again. "He was the one who pulled me out of the burning car and gave me the virus."

John still didn't look like he liked the other man, but he questioned me no more. Even so, I knew that he was going to investigate some more into it himself. It was only to be expected.

"Let's go back before James thinks we've eloped without him," I whispered into his ears.

He smirked.

When we returned, my eyes immediately fixated on the couple that was walking down the stairwell. The male resembled a more refined version of the dead model and the woman looked as if she was going to murder me if I even dared to approach her man.

Every hair on my body stood on end as they walked by. I knew that they were dangerous, perhaps even more so than the blonde bitch.

"Iris, do you know who those two are?" I leaned over her desk, keeping my eyes on their backs as they left.

She shrugged. "Never seem them before and they're not registered, but I'm not going to say anything," she replied. "They don't pay me enough for this."

I snorted. "They don't pay you, at all. I took this up to boss man, but if you're in any need for money, I can help you out there."

Her face split into a tired smile. "Thanks, but an old woman like me really has no need for anything."

It was sad that she as so resigned. If I was Donovan's mother, I probably would've given up on him long ago, but then again, I wasn't a mother and I really didn't know the guy, at all.

As we were leaving, I noticed John shooting her a look that made me raise my eyebrows. 'What was that about?"

"Nothing," he said, pushing me into the elevator and straight into a pair of arms.

Where had the kids gone?

"Why, thank you." I felt the chest rumble as he spoke. "What a lovely gift."

He attacked my neck. His hands worked quickly at my top.

"W-Wait!" I gasped, my fingers mussing up his perfectly gelled hair. My body had already submitted to him, while my brain was still trying to catch up to what was happening. "Someone will s-see us!"

"Then it's a good thing I have this, my dear." He stabbed a key into the elevator and it stopped moving. "You kept me waiting far too long. I should just lock you in my room and never let you out."

My eyes fluttered when a long finger slipped into me. "You won't be able to keep me in," I moaned. I had a lot more to say, but not when both of them were grinding against me. How did they expect me to function at all when they were doing this to me?

"I think that is a challenge, do you not agree?" James grinned at John who smirked back at him.

"I believe you're right."

I whimpered, wondering exactly what they were going to do to me.

…

I couldn't move. My body was so sore that it felt as if I was never going to be able to move again. Even with the stupid virus enhancements' I was just a lump of jelly limbs.

"Are you coming in today?" Kaden asked as soon as I managed to reach for my phone and dial him.

I let out a groan. "Sorry, Kaden. I won't be able to make it, today. I'll work from home." After the meeting, I didn't feel as obligated to drop by work, but I knew I should. It wasn't right. Even though I was still doing work away from work, it wasn't the same as going in. Maybe I should talk to him about quitting.

I loved my job, but I wasn't able to put in as much time as I did before. When I blurted my thoughts out, he quickly shut me down. "You do more than anyone else I can hire. Don't do this to me, Madison."

With a sigh I agreed. I couldn't let him down. Even though some of my ideas were less than well received at the meeting, I already had other things planned.

The door opened and I watched John toss his coat to the chair. "What's wrong? Where did you go?"

He sat down on the side of the bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 'I just went to take a walk outside."

I didn't believe him, but no matter how I tried to get it out of him, he never said a word about it. Before he could blow up on me, I stopped questioning him and instead, pulled him into a kiss that led him to be as naked as me.

He swore under his breath, sheathing himself fully inside. "Why do you have to do this to me?"

"I… don't know what you're talking about," I pated before letting out a whimper and buckling my hip. "John…" Having these five years of memories hit me at once had been overwhelming. The emotions were still simmering just beneath my skin, threatening to burn me into ashes.

He hummed, stretching his neck at me, undoing my very difficultly sustained self control. My teeth sank into his soft flesh as we moved our bodies in unison.

His blood was like an aphrodisiac that I couldn't get enough of. T he blood bags and even Liz's mixed drinks could never taste as good. Was it because it was live blood or was it because it came from John?

Reluctantly, I let him go, breathing heavily as his head fell tiredly on my chest. This couldn't be good for him. I was afraid that one day, I was going to end up killing him.

"We should stop doing this," I mumbled. "I don't want to keep hurting you."

He glared at me. "If I was hurting, I would tell you."

Of course… I shouldn't doubt him. He was always the one who knew what he wanted and took charge to get it, but lately, he didn't seem to be quite the same. His past suicidal tendencies really made me worry. Alex had really messed with his head.

Thinking about her made me think of the children. "Maybe we should go check on them," I told him.

I wished that the room were closer together. Being several floor apart still made me nervous. And even though Holden no longer asked to see the blonde bitch, he was still staying in the basement because we couldn't trust him sleeping in the same room as Scarlett. I knew that he may still leave with her if she ever showed up asking for him. Maybe I could change our room so that it was beside or at least, on the same floor as the children. There were plenty of rooms available. There had to be a way for all three to be close by.

"You go. I can't move." He was already drifting asleep. He may not know or admit to it, but the blood loss was affecting him. Perhaps if he ate more, it would help.

I leaned down to kiss him before leaving.

The kids were fine. Holden had found himself in Rm 64 with Scarlett. They had a large bowl of half eaten popcorn between them and a movie playing on the old television set.

"Having fun?" I asked, softly closing the door behind me.

They never moved their gazes from the screen as they nodded their heads, popcorn slowly making its way to their mouths.

I chuckled. I t was nice to see them behaving like normal children. I was afraid that they had already been traumatized beyond repair. "No staying up too late, got it? I'll be coming back alter. You guys better have your teeth brushed and changed into your pyjamas, got it?"

They mumbled something back, causing me to shake my head.

Children…

"I don't understand how you can stand those little aliens," he whispered from behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as I jumped in chock at his sudden entrance.

"What are you doing?!" I hissed. "The children are right there!"

"Then you shall not complain when I steal you away." With that said, he dragged me away. There was really no protest from me as I knew the kids weren't even going to miss me. They were slaves to the TV.

"Where were you today?" I mumbled against his lips as we stumbled and bumped against everything in the halls. MS. Evers was going to kill me if she ever found out. Where was she, anyway?

He thrust his tongue into my mouth, silencing any other questions that had already melted away.

We never made it to his room before he was deep inside me, pounding my body into the old walls. If eared that they were going to give, startling the possible occupants on the other side. This lead to m worrying that at any moment, someone was going to find us in such a compromised state of undress.

By the time we reached the seventh floor, I was holding desperately on to the shreds of my clothing. If anyone saw, I was going to die of embarrassment!

"J-James?!" I gasped, throwing my head back as another orgasm ripped through me.

…

He was furious when he found out that his sealed corridor had been taken down by the fools trying to change his legacy. Didn't they realize what they had done?!

Gritting his teeth, he was left in a foul mood all day. Even his usual mischief did nothing for him. The worst part was that Madi had gone out with John and the brats. He had tried to make her stay with him, but she was still holding what he had said over his head. How long was it going to take before she forgave him? He hated feeling this way!

"What's wr – "

He snatched the bottle of expensive whiskey from the chef and drank straight from the bottle. The smooth amber was accompanied by the burning stare of the tall woman.

"Really, now? That was unnecessary," she scolded.

Those bastards were going to want vengeance. Not only that, if the Countess found out what he had done, she was also going to make his undead existence miserable. Well, she already had her revenge when she got him fuckin' killed!

Yes, he still held a grudge for what she had done to him and he knew that he always would. He could only hope that his firebird would be kinder to him because he had already accepted the fact that she was here to stay. He wasn't willing to ever let her go.

But what if she didn't? What if she wanted to leave him?

Well… it wasn't as if she was ignoring him or determined to make his life – or unlife – Hell. Her playful teases actually made him hard just thinking about it.

He fathered that jerking of fin front of the other patrons in the dining room would be bad form, so he made himself disappear before grabbing his rapidly hardening member.

If he could have her invisible with him, nothing was going to keep him from fucking her all day long in every room at any time of the day. It was exhilarating knowing that there were other people in the room, while they got nasty.

His eyes fluttered closed as he imagined her with him, now. It didn't take long for the fantasy to push him over the edge.

He relieved himself several more times before making his way back to his room where he found a very naked and very exhausted man on his bed.

With a wicked grin, he materialized into Rm 64 where he found her taking to the midgets.

He never liked children. They were too loud, too messy, too much trouble, but he _had_ wanted an heir. He had wanted his blood to survive through the ages and thrive with the hotel. Unfortunately, it seemed as if he had long since lost his chance. There was really no true way for him to regain the rights to his empire.

Stepping forward, he pulled her towards him, reveling in the way that such a simple movement had caused her to jump. Her scent consumed him, washing away the dark, self-deprecating thoughts that always lingered somewhere in his head. They were so irritating.

"Where were you?" she mumbled to him, as if _he_ was the one who had gone off somewhere all day.

Wrinkling his nose, he made sure to teach her otherwise. Eventually, she was going to realize that she was the one who couldn't exist without him and not the other way around.

"Mm… The children…" she mumbled into his shoulder. "Holden needs to go back…"

Cursing, he got out and bribed the devil child down to his casket.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sooo… Recently, a couple of my stories had this person leaving spam reviews. The name is **Live-to-forgive.** If possible, please report him. You can find him on my chapter one review page and if you click into his profile, you can see he just posts the same passages over and over again. May users have been enraged over this. I don't know why this user has not been deleted, yet.

I've also just posted a story called Desire. It's on Detroit: Become Human. If you guys are interested, you can have a look.

Anyway!

Thank you **Vivi H88, Brookie Twiling, KilalaInara, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Gues** t: Teehee… John likes Madi a whoooole lot!

 **Brookie Twiling** : HAHA! I never thought about the Sunday thing, but very good point! Oh, the irony… And yes, why should Madi have to deprive herself? She could think of other ways to punish him!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Thank you! I'm glad the trip to your family went well!

 **KilalaInara** : Mooooore John and Madi it is! And more of James, too…

 **kai-baekyun98** : Haha! Madi freaky in the sheets! I love that!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

"What is this, John?!" I screamed at him, throwing the bloody shirt at his face. "Why is it covered in blood?!" My fear was that he had started self-harm, again.

He clenched his jaw, removing the stained piece of clothing from his lap. "What I do is none of your business, Madison."

I narrowed my eyes. "You've got to be fuckin' kidding me… Is it yours?" He shook his head and it was a bit of relief. "Then, whose blood is it?"

His silence made me storm out of the room. I was glad that the kids were with Liz. This was not something I ever wanted them to see. John was up to something. His secret activities when he was away at odd times of the day made me worry that he was actually doing something illegal.

It was so unlike him to do anything that contradicted the law, but our relationship was one of them. What else could he be doing? Why wasn't he telling me? Surely, he'd know that no matter what happened, I would be on his side. I mean, the things I had done myself could hardly be considered legal. Why did he think that he had to hide this from me?

With a huff, I dialled the only number that I thought would know the answer.

 _"Sorry, this number is not in service. Please, try again later."_

I cursed. Where was Andy?

Not long after several failed calls to John's best friend, my phone began to ring.

"Andy, where are y – ?"

"You, stupid bitch!" Alex hissed on the other side. "I got myself a lawyer and I'm going to make sure that you're going to be the one behind bars! I won't allow you to take him away from me!"

I rolled my eyes. "No lawyer is going to save your sorry ass. Don't you think that creating a cult of murderous children is just a _tiny_ bit illegal? As a doctor, I'm sure you have enough education to realise that what you've done is wrong?"

"I didn't mean to do it! I was only trying to save his life. I never thought… I never thought…" She grew hysterical as she thought back to what she had done. "If John knew what you've done to me, he'd stop you!"

Really? Was she truly _that_ delusional? John hadn't been hers for a long, long time. Ever since she shut him off from her and Scarlett's life all those years ago. "John is a cop. He'd know that what you've done is wrong. Have you even tried to redeem yourself? You tried to get me to cover up your crime like a fuckin' coward! I think it's about time that justice is served."

"Fuck you! I always knew you were a conniving bitch!" she screamed into the phone, until I hung up. I had gotten exactly what I needed. The recording would come in handy in case she tried to turn anything back on me. It was unlikely to succeed, but I knew that having a Plan B for everything was crucial. There was no need to be careless.

"Sweet bird, what has you in such a foul mood?" a soft, seductive voice made me take several steps away.

I looked wide-eyed at the gorgeous couple that had left me with strange dreams of blood and death. "Who are you?" My heart pounded in my chest. Like last time, every hair on my body stood on end as my guts told me to hightail it and run. There was something very unsettling about them.

"Just a friend." The man smiled back at me. The resemblance to Tristan was truly uncanny. Could he be some sort of relative?

His female companion took a step forward. I wanted to hold my ground to show that I wasn't afraid, but my adrenaline was high and my instincts moved me away.

"Don't be afraid, little bird," she purred, extending her pale hand towards me. "We won't hurt you, will we, love?" She turned to the man who pulled her into a passionate kiss.

As they were distracted with each other, I tried to make my quick escape, but a large hand was quicker as it seized my wrist and tugged me into the arms of the tall stranger. "Who changed you?" He ran his finger through my hair, burying his nose against my neck to take in a deep sniff.

"It certainly wasn't _her_ ," the woman spat. "I would be able to small that stench anywhere." Her flawless face was marred by an ugly scowl.

He hushed her. "You're scaring the bird," he murmured.

I had no idea what those lunatics were talking about or what they even wanted from me, but I couldn't stay here much longer. "Let me go!" I tried futilely to wrench away, but against this man, it was impossible. I felt as if I was trapped in a steel grip.

"Shh… Shh…" His attempts to pacify me were a waste of breath. I was seconds away from hyperventilating. Their presence was so suffocating! "It's alright. We'll take care of you. We'll teach you."

The woman stepped behind me, pressing our bodies together. "Imagine all the fun we'll have," she giggled.

No, this didn't feel right. This was so very wrong. 'I don't want to go anywhere with you!" I swung my fist.

Before it could make contact, he caught it. His brown eyes darkened to black. "That will not be tolerated. We are going to train you properly."

With that, he sank his teeth into my neck.

I let out a piercing scream, thrashing about even harder. It was the strangest feeling. The initial penetration as painful, but it wasn't long before a surge of pleasure shot straight through my body. The pain only heightened the sensation. No wonder John enjoyed it so much.

"Does she taste as delicious as she smell?" Her ruby red lips were silky smooth against my skin.

I let out a breathy moan when she claimed the other side of my neck. This was too much… This was too much!

My eyes rolled back and I felt myself slowly losing consciousness. "J…J…"

…

James' eyes fluttered closed. His cock was gripped tightly in his own fist, while John moved quickly behind him. The friction… t he pain… It drove him mad. He only wished that sweet Madi was beneath him, right now. Unfortunately, his own fantasy was going to have to do.

He imagined her pouty lips wrapped tightly around his aching member. He liked seeing her take control, sometimes, but he much preferred her completely submissive to him.

He wanted her to beg him for release.

"John!" he hissed when the other man hit his prostate.

But to be dominated by a man like John Lowe, that tickled his fancy, as well. That man was an absolute monster. People may think he was evil for all the things he had done, but no one was like the quiet personification of control and rage. _No one._ This was the glorious specimen he had been waiting for to complete his legacy.

"Louder," John growled, pulling his hair.

He grinned back, baring his teeth as he held back the explosion that was imminent.

John chuckled, loving the way the other man was at his mercy. Absolute control was what he craved. He had the infamous serial killer on his hands and knees begging for release. This was magnificent!

If Alex saw him, now…

That woman would've surely freaked out and called for an exorcist before divorcing him. He was actually glad that she had been the one to hand him the papers. It was much easier just signing the bottom of the pages. If she wanted the house, she could have it. He had no use for the old thing, anymore.

Oddly enough, however, he hadn't heard a word from her after she had accompanied him to the institute. That was fine. The lying, cheating bitch could be rotting in a dirty, old alley and he couldn't care less. Not only had she been fucking one of his closest friends, she had tried to take his children away from him.

He licked his lips. His sister had been the one to wrestle them back for him. He was going to owe her for the rest of his life.

His eyes suddenly flitted over to his phone as it started to vibrate.

 _Alex…_

What the Hell did she want, now?

He reached over, never faltering his rhythm.

"Hello, Alex," he somehow managed to keep his voice levelled. His hand was wrapped around James' mouth to keep him from being too loud.

"John!" she gasped. "I can't believe you're actually answering your phone! I've called you so many times, but I guess you were still in the hospital."

He snatched up his tie, crumbled it into a ball and stuffed it into James' mouth.

"What do you need?" His voice came out as a growl as he tried to suppress a groan.

"It's Madison. Your sister framed me for something I didn't do and I need your help, or else I'm going to lose my children!" she sobbed.

Really? Was she really calling him because of this? He didn't even care what Madison had done to her, but the way she spoke about their children as if they were solely hers… And to actually call him to help her take full custody of them? How stupid did she think he was?

"My parents got a mortgage to bail me out, but we don't have enough money for a good lawyer," she went on. "Please, John. I really need your help. I can't go to jail. I'm a _doctor_. I save lives! I'm not a criminal. I'm _not_!"

"Shit!" He gritted his teeth as James' walls squeezed him tightly.

"Exactly! You understand why I need your help, now?" He could barely hear her as it took everything he had to stay in control of himself.

As he was about to cum, the door slammed open and there she came walking in with a wicked grin on her face. She tossed away her beige trench coat, revealing the tight leather that hugged her every curve, leaving almost nothing to the imagination.

She crawled on to the bed, revealing the open slit at her crotch.

James let out a long groan around the gag.

Where had she gotten the outfit from?

He tightened his grip on the base of his cock. His body jerked as he continued to fight off the pleasure. This was too much.

She pulled the soaked tie out and crushed their lips together.

No, that was it.

He was done for.

His seed splattered all over her black one piece suit.

She took a long, slender finger, wiped off a glob and licked it off. Her moan had him hard, again.

"John? John?!" Alex screamed into his ears.

He clenched his eyes shut. He was completely frozen. This was a dream… or was it a nightmare?

"Are you still there?!"

"I'm… here," he managed to utter out. Why was he even still on the phone with her when there was obviously something better he could be doing.

She looked at him, licking her lips.

He found himself mimicking the action.

Just as he was about to hang up on Alex, she stopped him. "I want her to hear us," she quietly whispered into his other ear.

 _Oh, fuck_ …

This wasn't going to alst long.

She wiggled beneath James, slowly sliding him into her. "No saying my name. I don't need her to have anything on us."

James grinned. "Whatever you say, love." It ended up a loud groan when James began to move, once more, pushing him deeper into Madi. This was exactly what he wanted.

Her soft whimpers and pleas made him pant like a dog in heat. His hand tweaked the hard pebbles that were poking out from beneath the soft leather. Where had she gotten this from? It was rather reminiscent of his own rubber suit.

"I'll show you how much I need tomorrow," Alex told him, while his eyes were fixated on the duo beneath him.

Madison let out a loud moan, buckling her hip.

"What was that?" his ex-wife angrily demanded. "What are you doing, right now?!"

She moaned, again. Her beautiful blue eyes stand back at him. She was going to drive him crazy if he wasn't there already.

"Who's in there with you? Are you watching porn?!" Alex kept screaming into his ear.

He couldn't take it anymore. He threw the phone to the side. If Alex wanted to listen in on them, then she was welcome to do so, but he had had enough of her screeching.

He held on to James' hips in a bruising grip and began to pound into him.

He joined their moans and gasps.

"Harder!" he heard her beg. "More! _Please!_ "

He ran a hand down her smooth body. He wished that he could also feel her clenching around him.

"Fuck!" He let himself go when James came around him, again.

He watched as Madison bit down into James' neck. The blood flowed as it would for a living person, but he knew that it wouldn't sustain her. They had tried it once before and she had nearly passed out hours later. He was going to have to feed her after and he was excited to do so.

Tiredly, he pulled her into his arms when he collapsed between them. With her head lying on top of his chest and James' hand near resting on his upper thigh, he completely forgot about the phone that had long since hung up after he tossed it.

…

I woke up, wondering what had happened. It was only when I spotted the pale woman did it all come back to me.

I tried to run away, but it was, of course, useless. He was already standing there in front of me with that infuriating condescending smile on his face.

"What the Hell do you two want from me?!" I shouted in frustration. I felt like a mouse trapped in a maze, trying to find the exit.

"We don't mean to frighten you and I do believe we should've introduced ourselves first. I am Rudolph Valentino." He took my hand and placed a polite kiss on the back of it. "That lovely lady there is Natacha Rambova."

"Alright. Hello, nice to meet you, but you still haven't answered my fuckin' question!" I growled.

They both had the same creepy grin on their faces. "We are like you, but we have been trapped in that shabby hotel for the past ninety years," he replied.

I frowned. Stuck in that hotel? The only ones stuck were the spirits, but clearly, they were still alive.

"Yes. We saw you with that handsome man there. I know that you can help us and we can help you," she added. 'We had a lover once. Her name is Elizabeth Bathory. She had been our beautiful bird before she betrayed us. We loved her so… But now, we just want her _dead_."

Elizabeth Bathory? Could that be the same Elizabeth who had been married to James?

"It wasn't only her," Rudolph added. "That bastard March was the one who ordered us into our concrete prison!"

" _She_ was the one who lured us in! She used our love against us! I kenw that we couldn't trust her from the start, but _you_ wanted it to work!" Natacha shouted at her lover.

Before Rudolph could retort, I stopped them. "Alright, so what? Youw ant me to kill her or something?"

She nodded, while he shook his head. "You told me that you were over her!" Natacha glared at him.

He sighed. "Yes, love. I just meant that it's not only her who has to pay. March needs to, as well."

"Right… And… How exactly can someone like me do something like that?" I was never going to admit it to anyone, but I was terrified of that woman. I didn't know how to deal with her if she could still erase my memories with a mere sentence.

When I told the couple just that, they threw their heads back and burst out laughing. 'Don't worry, dove, she can't do that to you anymore. You're stronger, now. Let us teach you what you are capable of and you can help us with our own little problem – equivalent exchange."

Rudolph and Natacha told me of their plan. They wanted me to seduce James to anger the blonde bitch. I wasn't going to tell them that they were completely behind on the times. I wanted her dead as well and it wasn't as if James could be anymore dead. What did I have to lose?

Well… She could always kill me first…

"Here, take this. I've heard that he is into things like this, as well." Natacha smiled darkly at me.

I hesitantly took the strange leather piece. "Really…?"

"Go put it on." Rudolph began to lead me to the bathroom, while I continued to protest. I didn't want to walk around anywhere in that strange suit! "We'll give you a coat to cover that up. No one is going to know."

With a sigh, I couldn't believe that I had actually put the thing on. It was surprisingly comfortable, but why was there a hole at the crotch?! Geez…

As soon as I walked out, I snatched the coat that was draped over Rudolph's arm and wrapped it tightly around myself.

"Alright, so seduce James March, make her jealous, and… what? Trying to kill her, while she's heartbroken?" I already knew that she wasn't going to be too broken up about it. She had already remarried the new owner. Besides, she hadn't exactly been bothering me, lately. Was I ready for something like this?

"We also want you to kill March," Natacha snarled.

Of course…

Maybe I could just convince I did it. He was already dead, after all…

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

So sleepy that I closed my eyes for a few seconds and kind of started hallucinating/dreaming… You know that strange state where you're not quite asleep, but your mind is already in a different plane where you're kind of dreaming and you're kind of not? I don't know… Maybe I'm just going crazy…

Also, sorry… Still some sexy time there, but at least I'm getting the plot going!

Thank **you Vivi H88, Brookie Twiling, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Guest** : Hmmm… I think you might be able to have another lookie at Morgan…

 **anonymouscsifan** : I agree! Madi doesn't need him, but he likes to think otherwise.

 **Brookie Twiling** : Man… I feel like there are some instances where it's very obvious that the person is a troll and the account should just be blasted off the face of the Earth… Aaaaaaaaaaand yeaaaah sexy times… I promise that more plot will come!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

I ran a hand over his bare chest, still wondering whose blood had been on his shirt. It was strange that he wouldn't tell me. What could be so bad that he thought I'd be angry about it?

"What are you thinking about?" James asked, lifting an eyebrow at me.

I debated whether to tell him or not. Would he think that I was crazy? Would he be furious that I was trying to kill his ex-wife? I really didn't know what kind of relationship they had now. Even if they were only friends, it would put our relationship on the line.

"Madi… _Don't_ keep any secrets from me," he warned.

Biting my lips, I eventually decided to tell him about Rudolph and Natacha. It wasn't long before his face twisted into a look of hatred, but not for what I expected.

"They hurt you?" he snarled, his hand on my own suddenly tightening painfully around me.

Instinctively, I touched my neck where they had fed on me. "I'm fine, James. They let me go. The main thing is… they want you and the blonde bitch dead and they want _me_ to do it. I agreed because I didn't want to stay there anymore," I told him. 'They didn't seem quite right in the head. But is it true that you sealed them in the hotel, somewhere?"

There was no remorse in his voice when he replied. "I'm sure if you had the chance, you would lock Ms. Lowe away, as well. Oh, pardon me, that is exactly what you're trying to do, right now."

I crinkled my nose when he still referred to her as _Ms. Lowe._ She was in no way part of the family, anymore, but that was beside the point. I understood the point he was making and couldn't exactly judge him on what he had done. "Okay… And what about _her_? What do you think of them wanting her dead?"

He smirked at me. "I think we can use it to our own advantage. We will make this more about them and divert attention from us. That should keep their simple minds satiated for a while."

"Unless I actually manage to kill her, I think that's a bit too late for me," I mumbled.

The arm around my waist suddenly tightened. "No one is going to hurt you."

I look up to see John's intense blue eyes piercing into my own. "John! Did you – " Had he heard what James said about Alex?

Spotting the nervous look on my face, eh sighed. "I know what Alex has done to me, but if you could just explain how she ended up needing a lawyer and trying to extort money from me?"

I coughed, burying my face into his chest, feeling the short hair tickle me. "I dropped an anonymous call stating how she had kidnapped her own child and wouldn't allow you to see him. I figured that even if she's not arrested, you'll end up with full custody of the children." Was he going to be angry at me?

"I think it is quite brilliant!" James exclaimed. "In fact, I wouldn't be able to do it better myself." HE promptly pulled me into a deep kiss that left me breathless. "How can you even get angry at her?"

I lifted an eyebrow. If I recalled correctly, _he was_ the one who blew up on me for something that I had no control over. Nonetheless, I appreciated that he was trying to redeem himself, even if it meant sucking up.

"I'm not angry," John stated. "I was confused, wondering if she was lying because she just wanted money. Then again, I couldn't exactly concentrate on a single word she was saying when you came in dressed like this." HE ran his hand down the side of my body, feeling the smooth leather. The longer finger kept travelling, until he found what he was looking for and slipped it deep into me.

I wiggled, moaning at the sudden intrusion. "Already?" I sighed, meeting his every thrust.

"We have a lot of time to make up," he murmured.

That became the spark several more hours of lust-filled activities. One thing was for sure, the strange couple was never going to get this outfit back.

…

Once Madi left the room, he began to plot. This was perfect. The two bastards were going to help him eliminate the Countess and if they ever come into his Hotel, he was going to end them once and for all.

"You know what to do," he said to John who was idly reading the newspaper. 'You only have one more to go."

Deep blue orbs met his. "Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder." He smirked. "It will be my pleasure to finally end the source of our grief."

James snickered. "I have a few other people who want a piece of her."

"I am not averse to sharing," John stated, folding the paper neatly on his lap. "With the right people, of course. I'm guessing that we're going after Valentino and Rambova, next?"

"We can use them all to feed Madi. We can even put a nice, big bow on them!" He rubbed his moustache gleefully as he thought of how she was going to thank him.

John stood up. He stretched his back and limbs, feeling the slight soreness from their activities.

Opening the drawer, he retrieved the gun that he had purchased sometimes during his five years of daze. This was going to be easy. He could tell how comfortable the Countess had become throughout the years. She was never going to expect this.

"Are you going to watch?" He smirked at James who mirrored his expression.

"Certainly! How could I miss this glorious performance?"

They rode the elevator to the Countess' floor and simply waited, until James saw her coming. He lurked, invisible to the naked eye, as she walked to the thick metal doors. It immediately opened, revealing the handsome man with a gun in each hand – one was his own and the other belonged to James.

The bullets showered down upon her, but John was careful that none were going to kill her immediately. It was counter intuitive to allow her to die here.

The two mend ragged her broken body into the elevator and down they went, ignoring Iris' wide eyes when they walked through the lobby.

"Well, come along!" James told her as they passed.

She quickly put up a small sign stating that she was off to lunch before scurrying after them.

James handed her a piece of wood from the alley. 'Ready?"

Iris gulped, not believing that this was truly happening. This was it. She and her son were finally going to be free of this succubus.

Hesitantly, she raised the plank. Once it was above her head, she gave the blonde woman a long look. She had been such a blessing, until Iris realized that she had her son under her spell. With that thought, she brought the wood down.

"J-James…" Elizabeth coughed, blood dripping down the side of her beautiful face.

He crouched down beside her. "Finally getting what's due, my dear. Don't worry. I'll make sure that the other two will join you, pretty soon."

"Why…?" she gurgled.

"This is for getting me killed!" he snarled.

She closed her eyes. "I never…"

John moved her body just outside of the boundary as she mumbled the rest of her words.

It was a shame that he wasn't' going to be able to personally end her life, but this was fine. She was dead. Everything that he had worked for was complete.

They drained her before burning her body after. This was another mystery that was never going to be solved. Perhaps Drake would leave, too, after realizing that she would never return to him. He may finally regain control of his Hotel.

"Job well done, good sir!" he exclaimed once everything was done and they were back in the lobby.

John was looking particularly handsome with his shirt half unbuttoned and tie hanging undone around his neck. How could he possibly _not_ kiss him?

"Hey! Not in front of me!" Iris groaned. Between the three of them, she needed an eyewash station right beside her at all times.

Right at that moment, a blonde woman walked into the Hotel. Her eyes raked across the old, dusty decorations. She really didn't miss this place, but…

"John?!" She gaped at the two men locked into an intimate embrace.

The men froze to see who was interrupting them. Both their faces screwed into a look of displeasure. "Alex…" he greeted her as politely as he could.

What was she doing here? He thought he had made the message clear. From last night, he assumed that she had gotten the idea that he wanted nothing more to do with her. What more did he have to dot o convince her that his feelings had long since changed ever since _she_ was the one who shunned him away?

"Oh, my God…" Her hand was over her mouth, still in utter disbelief.

He let out a curse under his breath. "Why are you here, Alex?"

"You hung up on me, last night!" she exclaimed. 'I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I am your wife and – "

" _Ex -_ wife," he cut her off. "Besides, I _didn't_ hang up. I thought you knew exactly what I was doing, or didn't you hear?" He felt a smirk tug at his lips as he drew confidence from the man beside him.

Alex huffed. "Disgusting… Have you no shame?"

"Haven't _you_ , woman?" James remarked. "I believe the man is perfectly clear that he doesn't want you and I have no interest in sharing him with anyone else." Madi was not going to be happy when she finds out that the harpy had returned. Perhaps they were going to have a very good day if she allowed him to kill Alex. Hmm…

"Stay out of this! I'm talking to him, not you!" she shrieked, throwing her bag down as if she as ready for a fight.

Did she think that she was going to win?

"Leave, Alex," John told her. "I have nothing more to stay to you. If you want money, you're not getting any of it. I've already signed over the house to you. We've settled everything already. I don't owe you _anything_."

" _He's my son!_ " she screamed. "You're not taking him away from me and your conniving sister isn't going to take him away from me! How did she even survive? I thought I killed her already!"

They both froze.

Madi hadn't told either of them this important detail. The entire time, James still thought that she had tried to take her own life because of him.

"What are you saying?" John glared at the blonde woman. Any evidence of mercy was void from his face. "Did you just say that you tried to kill my sister?"

"I… I…" Alex stuttered.

"Don't I have a restraining order on you?"

Standing at the doorway with the setting sun behind her, Madi had never looked so beautiful. She was like a vengeful phoenix ready to condemn the wrong.

"Well?" she demanded. "Just because I was not in the hotel, doesn't mean it's fine to come here. You're not allowed to be anywhere near the children."

Alex crossed her arms, her eyes shifting back and forth as she realized that she was surrounded. "You can't keep him away from me. He's _my_ baby!"

"Yes, well… You fucked up. Have fun staying a night in jail." Madi quickly whipped out her phone to make good of her words. "Hello? Yes, I have Alexandra Brown here. I have a restraining order on her and she's violating it. I want her arrested. She's bothering the people I love and I will not tolerate that. Yes. Yes. I – "

A body flew into her, knocking her backwards on to the hard pavement. Blinking away the black dots, she groped around for her phone. "Y-Yes. I'm here. Sorry, she just tackled me. I don't know where she's gone. Can you guys just find her? My head hurts, my back huts, and I'm exhausted!"

John hulled her into his arms, looking around to make sure that there were no serious injuries.

"I'm fine! I don't need an ambulance! I only want her to leave us alone!" she shouted, tears of frustrating suddenly springing from her eyes. "I _don't_ want to stay on the line, anymore. I only want to go to my room, have a long, hot bath, and _not_ have to worry about her slitting my throat while I'm asleep!"

James kissed the sensitive spot between her ear and shoulder. His long fingers dug into her body, looking for all the knots that kept her tense and in pain.

She finally hung up, allowing the two men to lead her into the elevator, while Iris promised to call the police if she ever spots the woman near the Hotel.

"You never told me that she was the one who almost killed you. I thought…" James let out a long sight. "If I had known, I would've killed her long ago."

She remained silent, but tilted her head back to allow them more access to her neck. "I didn't want you to worry. I thought I had it all under control."

"Clearly not," James retorted, his moustache tickling her in a way that he knew she hated. "Don't keep things like this from us."

She hummed a soft agreement. "I'm sorry. So much happened during the time. To be honest, I didn't even think that I was going to ever see her, again. Wishful thinking…"

He didn't like this secrecy. He also didn't like how she allowed him to believe that she had tried to kill herself – that she tried to make it so that he would never be able to see her, again. If she were to ever die, she better die in the Hotel.

It wasn't long before the police came. Madi kept them outside, explaining the situation, while James and John began to plot, again. The legacy was complete, but that didn't mean that they couldn't keep having fun. Alex was truly grating on all of their nerves. They couldn't risk her alive if it meant jeopardizing Madi's safety.

"I'm in the mood for some head bashing!" James mused. "A very bloody scene after we drained her as much as we can." He was practically salivating at the idea.

John frowned. A bit of doubt began to nag at him. Alex was still the mother of his children. Could he do this to them.

Noticing his look, James glared at him. "You're not having second thoughts, are you? That will not do!" And then, in a much more serious tone, he added. "I'll kill you before I let you leave and hurt her."

"No. I no longer have any romantic interest in Alex," John truthfully stated. That was true enough. He hadn't felt this content for a while. "I want to talk to Madison first before we do anything, this time."

James rolled his eyes. That was no fun. He wanted to wrap the bitch up and give it to Madi. It was Hallowe'en, again, in a few months and he was absolutely excited to take the siblings out. Devil's Night was just going to be the appetiser to the main course!

"Alright, I'm ready to take a nice, hot bath and then, go to bed," Madi strolled in, stretching her body. The white blouse rose up, exposing her pale abdomen.

James snickered. Oh, he couldn't wait to do them all!

"Daddy!"

"Auntie Madi!"

Both children came bolting down the stairs, quickly claiming his lovers' attention.

He crossed his arms. No. He was _not_ losing them to the little aliens, tonight!

"Do you want to watch a movie with us, today?" Madi cooed.

No. _No._ _**No!**_

He gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to strangle their tiny… fragile… necks!

No, Madi wouldn't appreciate that.

John wouldn't appreciate that.

He had to be good. The brats had to stay or the duo would leave, as well. HE couldn't have that. They were _his_.

"Yes! I want to choose!" Scarlett shouted.

"No! It's my turn!" Holden argued. "I want to choose, this time! Auntie Maaddiiii!" He whined, until he was picked up and she decided to take control.

"We're going to watch what _I_ want to watch," she told them, grinning in amusement when both their faces fell in a comical fashion.

John bent over to pluck Scarlett into his arms, as well. "But we'll have chocolate ice cream and Nutella sandwiches!"

"Wha - ?!" Madi glared at him. "They are _not!_ You'll rot their teeth!"

With a chuckle, he made himself invisible. "I'll be thinking of you in bed," he teasingly whispered into her left ear, leaving her with a quick nip.

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Thank you **Vivi H88, Brookie Twiling, kai-baekyun98** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : Teehee… Yes. Yes, they did! Alex didn't seem too happy about that.

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Haha! ! Sorry, I had to have John complete the legacy, but I did change up a few things. I mean… I can't very well have her still wandering around their home!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Rudolph and Natacha are way too behind times. I'm glad you enjoyed the little scene with Alex on the phone!

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you! Hahahahaha!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

"Do you need something?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the dark, rumbly voice behind me. Nearly falling over when I turned around, I finally spotted the man I had been trying to find for the past few weeks. He said if I needed help, I could go to help. How was I to do that when he disappears without a trace? "Where have you been? I've been coming here every few days and you're never around."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Have you tried calling me?"

"W-Well… I…" I flushed. No, but I didn't really want to apologise over the phone. Alright, so I probably could've called just to set up a meeting.

I cleared my throat. "Anyway… I just wanted to apologise for my rude behaviour that day and thank you for saving my life. Maybe we could go out for some coffee, so I could make it up to you?"

He chuckled and in a blink of an eye, he was in front of me. "I don't think that's a good idea. I've grown selfish over the years. I know I won't be able to settle for just being friends, this time."

"Are you ever going to explain that?" I sighed, knowing that he wasn't and it was just a waste of breath to ask, again.

He didn't even both replying, this time. Instead, he invited me into his home where he made me coffee. This wasn't exactly what I meant, but I didn't mind. He was quiet as we both sat rather awkwardly in his kitchen.

"Did you want to meet - ?"

"No," he abruptly cut me off. "I will be there when you require help, but nothing more."

I looked down, feeling rejected. He seemed like an alright guy. Perhaps our first encounter really made a bad impression on him. "Alright… I won't both you anymore, then…"

This really shouldn't surprise me. We were but strangers. What exactly was I expecting? I should be grateful with him just saving my life, so why wasn't I? Why couldn't I let this go?

There was something about him that pulled me in. Who was this man with all of his secrets?

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts when an arm slammed into the wall behind me, tilting my chair backwards. "W-What…?" He was so close that I could smell the faint cologne on him.

"This isn't about me not wanting you," he growled. "This is about me wanting you far too much." As he pressed in closer, I could feel what he was talking about. "There is only so much a man can take. We must interact as less as possible, unless you want to anger that lover of yours."

His head dropped, landing on my shoulder where I could feel each breath caress my neck. "Just one taste," he sighed.

I shuddered, but instinctively tilted my head to allow him further access. What was I doing? He could kill me right here and now, but why would he? He was the one who saved me in the first place.

The moment his teeth pierced into my skin, I let out a gasp. There was only an initial spike of pain, followed by sweet pleasure that made my toes curl and my eyes flutter. His lips slowly sucked away, until I began to feel light-headed.

When he pulled away, the chair came back to its rightful position. We were both left breathless, staring into each other's eyes at a loss. This couldn't happen ever again. Even though the act itself wasn't intimate in nature, somehow, it still almost felt as if I had cheated on my lovers.

That wasn't good.

That was _frightening_.

This stranger shouldn't be able to make my heart race in such a way.

"Go," he ordered, gritting his teeth. "Leave. I only have so much self control left."

I was up and running without being told twice. It was clear that neither of us were willing to make this mistake together.

As I was hastily walking down the road, I suddenly felt someone watching me. Looking around, I spotted the creepy couple just staring and smiling in my direction.

Nope! I was not dealing with this, right now.

Quickly hurrying the rest of the way, the old building eventually appeared in sight. I could still feel them watching me. Were they going to go inside? Was I safe in James' room – our room? Were the kids or John safe? Could I be leading the Devil into our home?

Well, it wasn't as if they didn't know where it was. In fact, they had been locked in there for the past century or so.

The thing was, despite being extremely creepy, they were very justified with their anger. The problem was, they weren't allowed to take James away from me. Did they even know that he was already dead? What could they even do to him? Was it possible that they had found a way to exorcise spirits?

I shook my head, hoping that that wasn't true.

I let out a deep breath. It was fine. I was worried for nothing.

"John…" I went over to him immediately when I entered the room.

He wrapped his arms around my waist. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I… I'm just glad you're here. I really missed you while you were gone. I wish you never left."

…

He closed his eyes. He wished he had never left, as well. He could only imagine how frightened she had been in that car before it was blown apart. The image of the melted metal was forever going to be stuck in his head. That could've been it for her and he would've been none the wiser. Nothing was worth her life.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I should've been there."

Without hesitation, she nodded. "Yes, you should've. You would've told me to get my shit together and drive like a good girl."

"But you're always a good girl to me," James purred from behind her. "Such a good girl…"

How could he still be aroused after they basically fucked like three rabbits during an apocalypse?

When she asked him just that, he replied, "After I died, I'm _always_ hard." Yes, he was. There was no satiating the monster. "Now that you're here, it's worse. Want to help a man out?"

Grinning, she turned to give him a kiss before saying, "Not now. I still have a blonde bitch to kill and I haven't even seen her for a while. Where did she go? Has any of you seen her?"

The two men shared a look and then, shook their heads. They were behaving suspiciously, but she had no idea why. What were they keeping from her?

"Never mind that. It can wait." James brought her hand to his crotch. "But _this_ can't."

A giggle escaped her and she playfully pushed him away. "I have some things to do. You know, like work? You two go on. I kind of want to watch."

John never knew his sister had that side to her. True, he, too, enjoyed watching his two lovers fool around, but only when he had control of what they were doing. Madison just seemed to like them together no matter what.

"Well, the lady has spoken. We shall not disappoint!" James gleefully exclaimed.

As Madi settled down at the table, facing then, they made sure to give her a good show. James could feel her eyes on him as John raked his teeth down the front of his neck.

When John slid into him, a large hand clamped down hard on his cock. Oh, he knew brother dearest wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"Jack, I want you to make sure that there are no loopholes," he vaguely heard the woman speak into her small speaking device. He understood phones and cellular phones, but those small ear pieces that were attached to nothing were just strange.

And who the Hell was Jack?!

He didn't like her speaking to other men, especially that bumbling idiot, Keagan, or whatever.

"Yes. Do not worry about the price. I only want this deal to go through as smoothly as possible," she went on, her hand slowly sliding into her pants as she kept her eyes on him.

He grinned, tilting his head back further. If she wanted to watch instead of joining in, he was going to make sure that she was going to regret it.

"Mm…" She let out a soft sigh. "No, I don't want him to know it's me, yet. We'll deal with that later."

James gritted his teeth when John shifted their position, binding them even closer together. Out of all the lovers he'd had in the past, the ex-detective was the most aggressive. And it was oh, so delicious. John knew what he wanted and took it without shame.

"Yes. Yes." Her eyes fluttered. "E-mail me the documents. I'll have it read and signed as soon as possible."

"Yes!" He could tell she was on the verge. John's hand fell away as his own wrapped around his cock, pointing it straight at her. "There are no d-doubts in my mind. Just get it done and you'll get your commission!"

With that, she ended the call, tossed the ear piece aside and tore across the room.

They watched her leave a trail of her clothing on the plush carpet and attacked James' lips with her own. "I hate you," she whimpered, taking him into her with one swift thrust.

John reached over, pulling her hair as she stole her lips. They moved together, wound around as one with Madi and John lip locked and James had his mouth attacked to one of her plump nipples.

 _His_. She was his.

He didn't even bother telling off the demon that was once again lurking in his room, anymore.

…

"What do you mean you haven't seen her?" I frowned at the tall man looked rather stressed out. It was strange to see Will Drake looking anything less than perfect.

"I've already told you that she's been missing for three days," he growled. "There's nothing else I want or can say to you."

I shook my head in disbelief. Where could she have gone? Did she somehow figure out what I was planning ad decided to make her move first? Even _I_ didn't even know what I was going to do, yet!

Great… This was even worse than before. I was never going to get the creeps off my tail.

"You! Donovan!" I ran towards the man who looked as if he hadn't had any sleep for a while. In fact, he looked even worse off than Drake. "Have you seen the Countess?"

"No…" he mumbled, walking away as if he was part of the undead.

I huffed. Was there absolutely no one who knew where she was?

"Auntie Madi, I want to go to the park!" Holden tugged at my pants. He had spent less and less time with the blonde bitch. Eventually, he stopped asking for her altogether. "Can we go?"

I nodded absentmindedly back at him. "Do you want Scarlett with us?"

He shrugged before nodding his small, blonde head.

"Alright, let's get us fed first," I told him, brining him up to James' room where there was always a healthy supply of blood. It was kind of him, but I didn't exactly want to know where he had gotten them from.

Sipping my mug quietly, I noticed that this one taste different from the rest. This one seemed more like aged, fine wine. There were deeper, richer notes that made me think of…

I shook my head.

What a strange thought. "All done, darling?"

He bobbed his head. All around his mouth was a strain of dark red. After wiping him off, I carried him downstairs to retrieve Scarlett from john's room.

"If they ask for me, I'll be at the park," I told Iris who waved dismissively at me.

She had been in a much better mood, lately. I could only surmise that it was because the Countess was noticeably missing.

It was strange. The Countess seemed like the kind of woman who liked to be in absolute control, like John. She would never leave without taking care of all the loose ends first. Unless, of course, I had been lied to. She didn't have many friends, so I couldn't imagine who she would confide in. Drake seemed like the most probably source, but from his appearance, he clearly didn't know anything.

"Higher, Auntie Madi! Higher!" Holden screamed, happily, kicking his short legs in the air as he took flight.

I smiled. He wasn't mine, but I was beginning to feel as if he was. Scarlett was the same. IT was a shame that they didn't have the same connection hat most siblings did. They were more like classmates trying to find common ground. Hopefully, they'll eventually become more comfortable playing together.

I know that my own relationship with my brother was less than conventional and it wasn't something I'd push anyone else towards, but I couldn't help how I felt. I loved him with everything I Had. Like him, however, our love wasn't exclusive. We had James who turned our worlds upside down. There was something about him that dragged me in and kept me there. I was a willing victim.

"Ow! Stop!"

I jumped when I heard Scarlett cry.

"Holden, stop!" I shouted, quickly separating them by the slides before we could draw any unwanted attention. "You just ate! There is no reason for this!" With a tissue, I wiped his mouth clean, feeling my own hunger rise at the sight and smell, but I couldn't let anyone else see what he had done.

Beside me, Scarlett was still crying, moaning about the pain. I cleaned her off, as well. "Shh… It's going to be alright." I held her against me, holding my breath before I could catch another whiff of her blood. "Do you want to go back home? Do you want to spend the rest of the day with your dad?"

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she nodded her head as another bead of blood bloomed from her neck.

"I want to play!" Holden whined. "I want to go on the swings!"

Before he could run off, I grabbed him with my other hand. "No! You've been bad and bad boys don't get to play, until they realise what they've done wrong. _You're_ going to see your father, too."

He tried to squirm away, but I held him in a firm grip. It was already too late to stop all the eyes on us. He was wailing even louder than his sister, making sure that the entire way home was as unpleasant as possible.

Iris gave me a sympathetic look as I walked through the doors of the hotel.

When we were back in the privacy of Rm 64, I finally put him down and hold him still. "Apologise to your sister!"

He stayed stubbornly quiet for a moment before eventually mumbling a half-assed apology. His eyes were averted to the side with his arms crossed.

"Do you know what you've done wrong?" I asked, sending John a short text to get in here. "Do you know why you can't ever do this, again?"

He sniffed and I could tell that he was thinking about what he could've done wrong. "I hurt Scarlett. I'm not allowed to drink from anyone."

"Oh, baby…" I hugged him. "I know it's hard, but you j _ust_ remember that. If you're ever hungry, you tell me and I'll get you something to eat. Do you see how much you've hurt your sister? If I didn't stop her you could've…" Could I tell them about death? Did they know about it, yet? "You might never see her, again."

"I'm sorry, Scarlett," he finally said, again. Tears welled up in his eyes as the gravity of what he had done set in. "I don't want you to go away."

His sister wiped her face, again, before joining the embrace. Even though it was going to be an uphill climb, we were going to have to make this work.

Suddenly, the door burst open and John appeared with his shirt partially buttoned and his hair a completely mess.

"What happened?!"

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry, had to get the phone scenes out. This should be the last of that, unless you guys want more.

Sorry, this came up a bit late! Typing took longer than I thought.

Edit: I did a little bit of editing in terms of typos. Thanks for telling me, **Brookie Twiling**! I probably still missed a few…

Thank **you Brookie Twiling, Vivi H88** , guest ( **Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : Yeah, Alex tried to kill her and they found Madi in the parking lot in Chapter Twenty. Sorry, this story may seem a bit confusing. We have Madi who has the truth of what happened that day and James' version, which is him blaming himself and thinking that she had tried to kill herself. Similarly, he still currently thinks that the Countess was the one who betrayed him and got him killed. It seems that he likes jumping into conclusions. Teehee…

In terms of being a real family… They're really dysfunctional. Hahaha!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Oooh… Darn it… I didn't know that. Now I have to fix that chapter. Thanks so much for telling me! And uuummm… You'll have to watch the show to know if John actually kills the Countess in canon… (Ahahaha….)? I take no blaaaaaaaame!

No comments about Holden!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

John had a good talking to to both his children. It was obvious that he really didn't know how to reprimand them, but she didn't either. They were just going to have to figure things out as they came.

When he received the text from his sister, he had expected the worst, but nothing prepared him for the sight of two crying children. Scarlett had drips of blood staining on her purple and white striped shirt. He thought that something bad had happened to her. He wasn't completely wrong, but he hadn't expected Holden to be the cause.

It was difficult imagining his son as anything but the tiny angel he physically appeared to be. Unfortunately, he wasn't the same boy he had seen grow up from a tiny babe. HE was going to have to get used to this.

Watching Madison hand over a ceramic cup of blood to the boy and taking one for herself, he was reminded again that this was his family, now. This was the new norm. He didn't hate them for being who they were. It just took a lot of getting used to. It also helped that he loved the way it felt when Madison drank from him. The feeling surged through his body, but congregated in his loins.

"Want ice cream?" he whispered to Scarlett who had still been quietly sulking beside him. At his words, her eyes lit up. "But he can't have any because he's been bad, right?"

He nodded in agreement. "Right. Just you and me." Taking her hand, he gave his sister a quick look and gestured with his head before taking his daughter to the kitchen.

"Where are they going?" he heard Holden ask as the door closed.

John chuckled to himself. It truly felt as if they were a real family – like husband and wife. As much as he had once loved Alex, they never had this connection. Alex was distant and their ideas tend to clash. Madison complemented him in a way that his ex-wife never could. She took his bullshit in strides and dished out her own. Their fights were easily resolved. They never really had secrets, except for…

He was going to have to talk to James. Was he able to keep his secret activities from her forever? True that he planned on focussing on more extreme criminals, now, but she still had the right to know. He didn't want it all blowing up in his face when she found out at a bad time.

"I want strawberry!" Scarlett exclaimed, pointing at the pink section in the large tub.

He scraped a bowl for her and poured a glass of whiskey for himself. "Does it still hurt?"

Scarlett rubbed the red mark on her neck. "No, but I don't want him to do it, again. It really hurt! And… And he really scared me," she quietly admitted.

He patted her head. "He knows not to do it, again."

"I know he's different, now. Mom and auntie, too. You don't have to treat me like I'm a little kid," she mumbled. "They're like… like day walking vampires. It's kind of cool."

He lifted an eyebrow. When had she become so mature? And _when_ did she encounter anything with _vampires_? His daughter wasn't allowed to watch or read things like that! The last thing he needed was her romanticising them. He didn't want to have to kill any bloodsucking boyfriends! In fact, she wasn't allowed to have _any_ boyfriends!

Once she was done, he took her back up to their room. At night, she stayed in Rm 64 by herself or with either him or Madison if she had a nightmare. Holden tended to go back into his little glass coffin. John hated it, but at least his son was alright with him relocating it to Rm 78.

"Brush your teeth well. I don't want your aunt to yell at me if you get cavities because I've been feeding you sweets," he told her.

She giggled before heading to the bathroom. Once she was all done, he tucked her in, leaving a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well, darling."

He turned off the lights and headed back to Madison who had also put Holden to sleep. It was good that they had finally corrected his sleep cycle. The Countess had them living like vampires – awake at night and asleep during the day. He couldn't think of anything less productive.

"Is she feeling better?" Madison murmured against his lips.

He hummed. "She's fine. She understands why the two of you are different and she's okay with it. Just no more little snacks from her."

She nodded. "Good. Holden feels really bad about what happened. It's just a little harder for him to grasp why it was wrong."

The virus had caused his son to eternally stay as a young child who couldn't quite understand why self control was important. He didn't know if Holden's mentality was ever going to change.

He always wanted his children to grow up and lead successful careers, but that was going to have to change, now. He was going to die never knowing what Holden would look like once he's an adult, but at least, he still had Scarlett. He was going to make sure that she was going to end up happy.

"What would I do without you?" he sighed, tugging at her button up shirt.

She grinned. "Deal with two crying children by yourself?"

"James would help me."

"You know he's only around because of _me_ ," she snickered. "Who would want a big brute like you? And can you imagine him dealing with children? He hates them!"

"Right you are." The spirit in question appeared behind her, stroking her long, pale neck.

She tilted her head back to lean on him. "I knew it," she whispered before her lips were captured by his.

John watched them, feeling that this was their moment together and he was perfectly fine with it. He didn't know what it was about James March, but that ghost of a man was able to convince him to do just about anything.

After sitting in the armchair watching them, he got up to spend the night with Scarlett. He found his daughter still awake with the television on and quickly scolded her. "I'll let you off easy, this time," he said, tickling her until she screamed for mercy.

Once he stopped, he noticed her watching him with questioning eyes. "What happened to mom? I know she's different, but so is Auntie Madi. Why did she have to go? I miss her."

"Your mom has done something really bad, so she's not allowed to come here," he replied, wondering how he could properly explain the situation to her. It was something he allowed his sister free reign on. She seemed to have everything under control.

"Can we go to her, then?" she asked, hopefully.

He hesitated. To be honest, he really didn't want to see his ex-wife, again. "This is for your own good. Aren't you happy here?"

"I am, but I really miss her!" she whined.

Had she requested to visit him when Alex forbade him from going to the house? "Be a good girl, okay? There's a reason for everything we do. We're only trying to keep you safe."

She pouted, but said nothing more. Instead, she turned on to her side, signalling that she was going to ignore him for the rest of the night.

He frowned, wishing that he had stayed with his lovers. Instead of a good show, he had decided to deal with a moody pre-teen.

"Alright, sleep well," he mumbled. "No more TV tonight, okay?"

Of course, she didn't reply.

He wondered when things were finally going to settle down. One day, Scarlett was going to see that everything he did was for her own good. Alex was a lying bitch who didn't even care about her own daughter. He should've noticed sooner that she had become unhealthily obsessed with Holden.

Even before he went missing, he had been her favourite. He thought it was cute at first, until she couldn't seem to put him down. He was always in her arms when he should've been out and interacting with other children. That was probably why he had been so withdrawn. He had been sheltered by a mother who refused to share his attention with anyone else.

"What's wrong, John?" Madison mumbled, lifting her head from James' chest shortly after he walked in.

He sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. HE contemplated telling her about Scarlett's request, but he already knew what she would say and he didn't want to ruin her mood. "It's nothing. Go back to sleep." He kissed her forehead and settled beside them above the sheets.

 _"Look how beautiful he is," she whispered, staring at the blue bundle in wonderment._

 _The form wiggled around, staring at them with sleepy blue eyes._

 _"He is. He really is," he replied. He was scared that if he touched the newborn, his big, clumsy hands would hurt him. "What are we going to name him?" He had a few in mind, but he knew that his wife would make the final decision._

 _"Holden. His name is Holden Lowe. My beautiful baby boy." She leaned down to lay a kiss on the soft forehead._

 _By the time they were allowed to go home, he still hadn't held Holden, yet. Alex wasn't ready to relinquish the boy, so he left them be. It was probably normal for the mother to be extra protective, especially since this was their first baby._

 _A week went by before he felt a tinge of irritation. "Hey, Holden. It's daddy." He bent over the crib to pick him up._

 _"What are you doing?" Alex was at the door way with a rattle in one hand and a wet towel in the other. "You'll hurt him!" She glared as she brushed him away, cradling their son who had started crying from the noise. "Look at what you've done! You don't understand how hard it is for me to calm him down, again!"_

 _With a frown, he said. "Here, let me try – "_

 _"No, you've done enough. Don't you have work to do?" She turned her back towards him._

 _He was clearly being dismissed like some sort of peasant._

 _Deciding not to argue, he left the room to stare blankly at some stupid case about drunk driving. Was he really allowing her to alienate him? Holden was also his son!_

 _Feeling as if it was finally time to discuss this, he went back to the room to find her rocking H olden in the rocking chair he had bought her shortly before she gave birth. He wanted to take back what was his – his time with his own son, but how could he when they both looked so peaceful?_

 _She may be a mother dragon, now, but as they were, he still loved them with everything he had. This was the woman who had given the most precious thing to him. He was going to have his time with Holden later._

 _Later ended up being next month. When he held his baby boy, he knew without a doubt that all the wait had been worth it and surely, Alex would be more lenient with their time together._

 _One day, he thought he would bring him to his sister's place. She had yet to see Holden, but Alex intercepted him before he could even walk out of the door._

 _"Where are you going?" she asked, crossing her arms._

 _"Madison's. She'd love to – " He was quickly cut off. This seemed like a rather common occurrence, now._

 _"No." She scowled. "My baby is not going to see that druggy."_

 _He looked away, regretting telling Alex about this. Because she was a doctor, he thought she would be more understanding. Besides, it was all in the past. Madison had done more than he ever dreamt of in the short time that she found her footing. She had started a small business with her boyfriend and she was making a decent income from it._

 _His baby sister had done him proud, but his wife and her family seemed to think the worst of her because of him._

 _"She won't hurt him," he told Alex. "You know she – "_

 _"No, John," she adamantly stated. "If you can't take care of Holden properly, then give him back to me." She held her hands out as if to permanently keep him away as if she was an item to be possessed._

 _He clenched his jaw. "I'll take him to the park, then. I just want to spend some time with my son!"_

 _Before she could say anything else to him, he quickly left the house. "Come on, Holden. We'll go out for some sun and then, we'll see your Auntie Madison. You want to see her, don't you?"_

 _He had fully intended to take him to her, but Alex had found them in the park and had them go back home. Her possessiveness was starting to make him feel paranoid. It was as if she was stalking and watching him every second of every minute. He didn't know how much more he could handle this._

 _Months later, he finally managed to secretly meet up with his sister, while Alex was out with her friends._

 _"Hey, little guy," Madison cooed, poking gently at his soft, chubby cheeks and causing him to let out a burst of giggles. "Who knew something so cute could come out of_ _your_ _DNA."_

 _He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"_

 _She snickered. "You're always so serious and frowny." With the same finger, she roughly poked the point between his eyebrows. "You're going to be thirty going on sixty."_

 _He swatted her finger away from his face. "Do you want to hold him?"_

 _"Uh…" She looked nervously back at him. "Would… I mean… No, I can't. What if I hurt him?"_

 _"Come on. I'll show you how to hold him." He gently positioned her hands to properly cradle the small dozing form._

 _Once she was used to it, she wouldn't let him go. "He's so cute!"_

 _He laughed._

 _For the first time in what seemed like forever, he truly laughed and once he started, he couldn't stop._

 _"Stop!" she whined._

 _He could tell that she wanted to hit him, but she couldn't. Her hands were full._

 _Eventually, Holden woke up. He blinked his bleary blue eyes and reached for her hair with his tiny, chubby arms. A series of bubbles bubbled out of him as he played with her long locks._

 _"Can I keep him?" She looked as if she was going to let out another squeal._

 _"No, Madison," he said once the laughter stopped. His stomach hurt. "I have to take him back before Alex finds out that he's gone."_

 _Her face immediately darkened. "Are you serious? Does she still think I'm some sort of baby eater? Does she think I'm going to give him LSD and turn him into a baby cannibal version of me?"_

 _"That's not – "_

 _"Don't lie to me!" she hissed. "I don't know what's wrong with your wife, but I am not allowing her to keep my nephew away from me!"_

 _Holden let out a hum, burying his slobbery face into her white blouse._

 _Her face softened and her voice grew quieter. "I'm serious, John. Whatever problem she has with me, I want it dealt with. I don't like this tension between us."_

 _"I'll talk to her, okay?" he sighed. It wasn't as if he hadn't already tried many times before. Alex wouldn't compromise._

 _She silently nodded, passing Holden back to him._

 _He kissed the top of her head. "Don't let her bring you down. I'm proud of everything you've done."_

 _"Thanks, John."_

 _Alex_ _did_ _eventually allow Holden more freedom, but it had caused a lot of grief. When he learned how to speak, he asked for his Auntie Madi._

 _Alex had been furious when she realized that he had been taking their son to see his sister._

 _But it was only because of Holden and her inability to say no to him that allowed them to see Madison whenever he liked._

 _When Scarlett came around, Alex didn't show any of the same possessiveness. It was a massive relief. He gathered that she figured out she couldn't hide them away forever._

 _He had been too quick to assume._

 _He should've known that the obsession was unhealthy and put an end to it as soon as possible._

"John, wake up! Wake up!"

He jolted into awareness by Madison's frantic shouting.

"W-What?"

"Scarlett is missing!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Uh oh… Trouble at the Hotel Cortez… Who would've anticipated _that_?

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, kai-baekyun98, WickedlyMinx** , guests ( **Guest** and **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Gues** t: Yes! That was Morgan. I hadn't realized that I didn't mention his name at all in the beginning. Oops!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Muahahaha! Sorry about the typos! I went back to change a few things that you mentioned. Thank you! Please, do keep telling me. My fingers and my brain don't seem to like cooperating.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Aww… fanfiction is being glitchy with your reviews! It's always so strange not seeing them. Teehee… I really enjoy having Morgan make these little visits. Regarding the last name, I don't know why I ended up giving it to her. For some reason, I actually thought that was canon last name, until you mentioned it. Now… Well… It's too late for me to change it! Ahahaha… But yes, that's the one I was thinking of as well. I just thought AHS had done it on purpose.

 **kai-baekyun98** : Thank you!

 **WickedlyMinx** : His name is Morgan. He was in the story I wrote for Freak Show, but his part in this one isn't too big, so no worries if you don't know too much about him.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

I had woken up and something immediately nagged at me. I looked around to see both James and John still on the bed. The former had turned curiously to watch as I observed the room, trying to look for what was amiss.

"What is it?" he mumbled into my hair.

"I don't know," I quietly whispered, getting off the bed to check on Holden. He was still sleeping soundly in the casket. I left the room to look around the hall. There was nothing strange, but I did find the blonde woman smoking at the end of the hall in front of an opened window.

I veered away, descending down to Rm 64. Immediately, my heart sank. T he door was wide open and the girl was missing. I checked the bathroom. I checked the closet. I checked beneath the bed. "Scarlett? Scarlett?!"

Running down to the lobby, I asked Iris, but she hadn't seen her, either.

I cursed under my breath and went back upstairs before hesitantly approaching the haggard, blonde woman.

"Excuse me, have you seen a young girl with blonde hair? She's about this tall." I tried to describe Scarlett as best as I could.

She gave me an unimpressed look. "No." A ring of smoke hit my face.

"Right… Thanks," I mumbled back to her.

What if something happened to Scarlett? The Hotel was strange. This Hotel was filled with blood and death.

When I went back into the room, James instantly spotted that my distress had only amplified. "Scarlett is missing," I mumbled before frantically shaking my brother awake. "John! John! _Scarlett is missing_!"

He immediately jolted up. "What?!"

"Scarlett's not in her room and Iris hasn't seen her anywhere!" I sobbed. What had I done? I had taken the girl from her grandparents' home where she was safe and had her live with John and I in this murder hotel. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

He pulled me into his arms. "It's not your fault. We'll look for her." His voice sounded distant as if he was keeping something from me.

"John…?" I whispered.

He reached over to the nightstand and picked up the phone. "Where is she?!" he snarled into the speaker.

I leaned in closer to hear the other person on the phone. 'I don't know what you mean, John."

Alex.

How had she taken Scarlett without anyone knowing? The entire Hotel knew she was banned. I made sure of it.

"Don't play games with me! _Where is she?!_ " I could hear his heart speed up. My hunger tugged painfully at my stomach, but now was not the time to be thinking about that.

"If you're not going to believe me, then talk to my lawyer. I was nowhere near the rundown junk," she calmly replied.

Alex promptly hung up, putting John in an even fouler mood.

"She has her. I know she does," he groaned. "This is _my_ fault. I was speaking to Scarlett last night and she said she wanted to see her mother, but I wouldn't let her. Alex most likely didn't even have to come here because Scarlett went to _her_."

"What?" I gaped at him. "No, no… It's not your fault, either. We have to get her back. S he doesn't understand that Alex is completely mental, now."

I crawled over to James, giving him a quick kiss. "Have a look out for Scarlett for me in case we're wrong and she's still here."

"Mmhm," he hummed, stroking my face. "And shall I call you on that tiny device if I happen to spot her?"

I nodded. "You know my number," I said. "Come on, we have to find Alex."

At the in-laws, they were less than friendly. They were borderline violent. "You come into _my_ home and accuse _my_ daughter of kidnap?! Haven't you both done enough to use already?!"

I narrowed my eyes. "If _your_ daughter hadn't kept Holden from his dad, then maybe she wouldn't have been in trouble with the law! We're not in the wrong here, _sir_." Not to mention that she was basically the reason why dozens of people were dead. Her little army of children had continued to terrorise the town, but of course, no one would believe me if I ever told them.

"Get out!" Frank was red in the face as he roared and practically pushed us down the small set of stairs. I was almost convinced that he was about to have a stroke.

They were in denial. And if they had been anyone else, I would've sympathised. Parents loved their children unconditionally and they'd believe in them even if said child killed in front of their own eyes. As it were, we had years of tension and hatred built between us. We were never going to be able to see eye to eye.

"Well, that was a bust," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. We were hoping that by some off chance, they were going to help convince Alex to let Scarlett go. Obviously, that hadn't gone as planned, at all. "Do you think we should head straight to the witch's lair?"

He nodded, his eyes dark with anger.

Before we could get back into the car, a body slammed into me, knocking me to the pavement and taking my breath away.

"What the Hell?!" I struggled beneath the larger form.

"Shh… little bird, no need to be frightened." He smirked against my ear. "… As long as you cooperate…"

He twisted us up, so that I could see his lover with her claws on John. She seemed to be enjoying herself and all I wanted to do was gouge her eyes out.

"You haven't been doing your job," she sneered at me. "Didn't we tell you that there were consequences?" She stroked his face. "I wonder what he tastes like. I'm sure he's going to be as delicious as he smells." Her tongue ran down the length of his neck.

John's face screwed into a grimace of disgust. "Get your hands off me." Somehow, he managed to wrench himself out of her grip and had his gun on her temple. "Let her go," he growled at my assailant.

Rudolph raised his hands and took a step away from me, but the smirk never once left his lips. "No need to act rashly. We are not here to harm anyone. We are only here to make sure the little bird has been doing her job."

I huffed, making my way beside John. "I'm working on it!" I told them. "But I have a more pressing matter to take care of first." To be honest, the Countess had eventually slipped to the back of my mind because she seemed to have completely disappeared from the Hotel.

"She's dead already," John blurted out.

"What?" I looked at him in shock.

He clenched his jaws. His sharp blue eyes remained on the other man as he continued on. "I killed her after I questioned why there were two strange people going after my sister. You may leave us the fuck alone, now."

Instead of looking elated like Natacha, there was an unexpected forlorn expression on Rudolph's face as if he never actually wanted her to perish.

"You should've said so earlier, darling!" Natacha gleefully cackled. 'We would've been able to avoid this embarrassing encounter."

"No, I want James March gone, as well," Rudolph stated.

I crossed my arms. "Yes, well… It's kind of hard to kill someone who is already dead. I really don't think anyone can help you there."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He's dead? I thought… I thought for sure she would've changed him… Were they not husband and wife?"

"She was just playing with him as she seemed to do with all her men. HE was but another pawn to her sick games," I replied, trying to gauge his reaction.

He shook his head with a sad laugh. "Then what is he? I have seen him in that hotel and he looked quite alive to me."

"But have you ever heard his heartbeat?" I asked. "He has none. He's a ghost. Just go on your way and leave us alone. The Countess – the mastermind – is dead. You've had your revenge."

"Dear…" Natacha looked at her lover. "We can finally be free to go wherever we want. We can travel the world. Let's go and leave all this behind."

He closed his eyes. "Yes. We will go."

John slowly took the gun from her temple and pushed her forward, away from us.

They fell naturally into each other's arms and without even a second glance at us, they walked away.

"They're not even going to confirm my words?" he mumbled to me.

I frowned. "What? Did you lie to them?"

"No," he replied in amusement.

"I think they just really needed to hear that she is gone. From what they told me, they were in the height of their happiness before they ended up trapped in the hotel," I said. "I'm sure they're tired of chasing after the past."

He nodded, kissing the crown of my head. "Let's keep going."

For now, I agreed, but he was going to have to tell me more about when and how he killed the Countess. He also had to tell me why he decided not to inform me that he had done it.

We arrived at John's old house and found all the lights off. Anyone else would've assumed that no one was home, but not us. John knew from experience that criminals could be very clever and me? I just knew that she was a deceptive, manipulative bitch.

"I'll go from the back; you take the front," John told me, gesturing with a nod of his head.

I tried the spare key from John first, but as expected, it didn't work. She had already changed the lock. After making sure that no one was watching, I began to pick the lock. It was simple enough, a normal door with very normal mechanisms.

The inside was void of dust. She was definitely still there.

When I was inside, I locked the door, again, behind me. The windows were all shrouded by new, thick blinds that blocked out all the sunlight. It felt as if I was in a haunted house. Where was she and when was she going to strike? Was Scarlett alright?

I weaved through the familiar rooms on the main floor, but found nothing. I could hear a soft set of footsteps above me. Was that John or was that Alex trying to sneak away? Could it be Scarlett?

Suddenly, a gun went off and I quickly ran up the stairs. I turned to the master's bedroom and found John standing at the doorway, holding his shoulder with one hand and his gun in the other.

"John, are you alright?" I could smell the blood coming out of him.

"I'm fine," he grunted. "She has Scarlett."

Indeed. Inside the nearly pitch black room, she held the trembling girl with a gun pressed against her temple. 'Don't come any closer!" she screamed.

"Mommy, stop!" Scarlett cried. "I'm scared! I don't want to play cops and robbers, anymore!"

My heart broke. How could Alex do this to her own daughter? The poor girl was absolutely terrified of her mother! "Let her go, Alex. Can't you see what you're doing to her?"

"No! If you want your daughter back, then give me my baby and clear me of the charges!" she shrieked. "I know it was you! It's your fault they're after me! If anything happens, it's _all your fault!_ "

I glared at her. Was she really blaming me for this madness? Was she an adult or not? Everyone was responsible for their own actions. Did she think she was above it all?

"Just give Scarlett back, Alex. This doesn't have to end this way. She is your daughter. Look at what you're doing to her." John gestured to the girl who was still on her feet only because her _mother_ was holding her up.

"Mommy… I want to go to daddy…" she sobbed. "Please, mommy…"

Alex didn't even look at her. Instead, she re-aimed the gun at John. "Give me Holden and I'll give you Scarlett. It's a fair trade – a child for a child."

"That's not how it works," he growled. "We don't trade children. They're not possessions!"

I looked to the side where there was a bathroom. No, I couldn't do anything there, but what about the window behind her? If I could somehow slip away unnoticed, I may be able to catch her unaware.

While her and John were in a heated argument, I took a small step back, then another… and another. Not once did I look away from the deranged woman. Just a little more and I could –

"Don't move, bitch!" she suddenly screeched at me.

I froze.

"You move one more step and I will kill her!" The gun nudged the girl's head.

Scarlett let out a horrified shriek, sobbing violently for her mother to let her go.

I cursed under my breath. "Alright. Alright. I'm not going anywhere." I even placed my hands in the air as I stepped back beside John. "Okay, Alex. What the Hell do you want us to do? You want Holden, but you also won't allow us to go anywhere. Do you see the fault in your logic there?"

She grew silent, frowning as she tried to figure out what to do to get what she wanted. 'I'll call my parents to get him."

"And what? Let you have both of them, at the same time?" I remarked, narrowing my eyes. Did she really think that we were that naïve?

My heart began to race faster as another plan formulated in my mind. IT was risky and it was stupid. "Do you really think you're fooling anyone, Alex? You're a disgraced doctor who's going to be on the run. What are you going to do once you have Holden? You can't give him a happy life. You've _failed_ as a mother. You've _failed_ him!" I could see the anger grow within her as her hands shook.

"What are you doing?" John hissed at me.

"Get Scarlett when I have her distracted," I mumbled back.

To Alex, I shouted, "I'd make a better mother for them. At least, I haven't created a small army of child killers. I can provide for them. I can give them a normal life."

The gun was finally pointed back at me. "Shut up! Shut up! You'll _never_ be their mother!"

I squeezed John's hand before taking a step forward. "Oh, yeah? I think they already like me better. That should really tell you how well you've done."

My body lunged forward as she was distracted and grabbed the gun. Everything happened at once. John followed my motion, but towards Scarlett who managed to break free.

 _Bang!_

I wrenched the weapon away and punched her in the nose. There was a sickening crunch, followed by a loud shriek. I pointed the gun back at her, but she threw her body through the window and scampered away like a cowering mutt.

"Daddy!" Scarlett sobbed, clinging on to him as tightly as she could, while tears streamed relentlessly down her pale face. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have left!"

"It's okay, baby. I'm here," he sighed in relief.

I smiled at them. The gun dropped from my hands. "Let's go home. I'm tired. I think – "

"Auntie Madi!" Scarlett looked at me in horror.

I pressed my hand tighter on my abdomen. "I'm alright. L-Let's go."

"Madison – " John rushed towards me and caught me right as I fell. "What were you thinking?!"

My head felt as light as a feather as I tried to focus on his pretty blue eyes. "I think… I think I thought too m-much…" My brain wouldn't shut up, until she was safe and now…

It was so quiet…

…

John shouted her name over and over again, but her head had lulled on to his chest. She was out cold. If he didn't get her back to the Hotel, soon, she was going to be dead.

"Is she okay?" Scarlett trembled against his side.

"She will be," he mumbled, but he didn't know that for sure. He had to hope. What else could he do?

He sped back to the Hotel. His heart had never raced as quickly as it did now. It was one thing hearing that she had been in a car crash and even when he had _heard_ from her mouth that Alex had tried to kill her once more, it was another thing to see her get shot right in front of his eyes.

He could acutely feel her blood crusted on his shirt. The coppery scent was nearly overwhelming. It made him gag.

"Dad, she won't stop bleeding!" Scarlett cried, pressing down harder on her wound. Her small hands were already covered in blood.

She had to make it.

She just had to.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Aaaaaand sooooo… That happened.

I can't believe I'm on Chapter Thirty and still not end to this story, yet… I'm aiming to conclude this before we reach forty, but who knows? I hope you guys don't mind this installment being so long! And dragged on…

Thank you **Brookie Twiling** and guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'm sure James would've like a kid with Madi, too! I'm not sure if he ever cared much for Bartholomew and for some reason… I thought the child was Elizabeth's and Rudolph's. Oops!

 **Guest** : Dun dun duuun! You were right! She went to see her mum! I feel so bad for doing this to her, but I can imagine a young child doing that. She doesn't know that her mum isn't the kind lady who gave birth to her and took care of her, anymore.

 **Brookie Twiling** : Oh, Scarlett… Poor girl… She just wanted her mummy : (

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

James was humming merrily as he practically danced around his room, preparing for their return. He hated the little aliens running through his halls, but Madi loved them and he wanted to get back on her good side.

Once the toys were piled neatly on the side table and the bow on the teddy bear was perfectly tied, he stood back to observe his work.

"Uncle James, when are Auntie Madi and daddy coming back?"

He crinkled his nose when the grubby hand tugged at his immaculately ironed suit. "Soon. Patience will lead you far."

The little thing pouted. "I want to go play. I'm bored. Is Scarlett here?"

"No," he mumbled, already feeling his good mood dissipating. "Go play in that corner there." He pointed at the spot by the glass casket.

Holden grudgingly listened.

Out of the two children, he actually preferred the girl more. She was more obedient and less whiny. It was a mystery why the bitch Alex liked the boy more.

Ten minutes later when he had finally found his happy place, again, there was shrill cry. "What is it now?"

"I'm bored!"

He bashed his head against the desk. "Listen here," he snarled, turning to shout at him, but he stopped when the boy's widen, blue eyes welled up with tears. "Stop that!" They spilled over and still, those blue eyes continued to stare at him, until he let out a sigh of resignation. Why did he have to have those eyes? They definitely ran in the family. "Fine. What do you want to do?"

As if on queue, all the tears dried up and he was given the widest grin. Why did it feel as if he had been tricked by a child?

"Auntie Madi always takes me out for ice cream. I want ice cream!" he declared.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, why didn't you just say so? We can go to the kitchen and – "

"No! I want ice cream from the park!" the boy cut him off.

James froze. "I can't help you there," he mumbled.

"But I want to go! Take me there!" he continued to cry.

"I. CAN'T!" he roared. "I. CANNOT! I physically cannot take you out of this hotel. If I could, do you think I'd really still be here? Don't you think I'd try to get away from this disaster that was once my pride and joy?!"

Breathing heavily, he quickly disappeared before anything else could've been said. He had had enough of everyone whining when they weren't the one who was trapped inside here. They didn't understand how much regret and self-hatred he had. No amount of bravado could truly cover up the darkness that swam inside him.

Two hours later, he returned to his suite to find the boy back in his casket. The lid was left open and he could see the tear stains on the soft, pale cheeks.

He sighed. Madi was going to kill him when she found out that he had made Holden cry.

 _Bang!_

He quickly blinked from visibility when the door suddenly slammed open. "March! We need blood!"

John rushed in with Madi in his arms and a crying girl clinging to his ruffled shirt. This was an all too familiar sight.

"What happened?" he growled, ready to kill the other man if he was the reason she was bleeding out.

"Alex."

"Fuck!" He kicked the wooden chair into the wall, causing the wood to splinter. "How much has she lost?" There was no way they had enough for her. He had killed a handful of humans for her the last time she was this close to death. The fridge only had a few bottles left. Dead blood was also less effective. "Let her drink from you. I'm going to look around."

Before John could reply, he was gone, scouring the rooms for anyone worthwhile. HE didn't want anyone with dirty blood to taint her body.

His first victim was a middle-aged man who was nervously waiting in his room. He was probably expecting an escort of sorts. The man never saw him coming. Literally. He had materialised behind him and knocked him out.

It was a hassle dragging the heavy body back, but anything for Madi.

He placed him on the carpet beside the bed, watching as John removed his wrist from above her lips and stemmed the flow before guiding her to the soft, plump flesh of the stranger, but she remained motionless.

With a sharp knife, James glided it across the man's neck. He had to take a glass to gather up the liquid and slowly poured it into her lips. It took a bit of coaxing, but eventually, she was able to drink on her own.

"Wake up," he whispered, brushing her hair back.

John sighed, leaning against the side of the bed. "I could've handled that situation better," he mumbled. "I was trained for these hostage situations. This should never have happened."

James sat down beside him. "I don't blame you," he said. "I think she's just a magnet for trouble. Who knew that this little lady could do this to someone like me?" He chuckled at the thought of his ball of fire and chaos.

They waited on the carpet for her to wake, but when morning came, she was still unconscious and neither of them could wake her. It was an absolute nightmare. They didn't know if she was still dying or not. For all they knew, she was never going to open her eyes, again, but they couldn't give up.

James left to find someone else for her. He walked through each room, until he sensed something unusual. The room was stifling as if there was something moving in the air. He could see a black bag by the door and someone was moving in the bathroom.

He waited patiently for them to come out and when they did, she was definitely not happy to see him. "Who the fuck are you? Get out of my room!"

"Hello. I am James Patrick March and I – "

"I don't care! Get out!" She grabbed a pen from the table and stabbed the back of her hand. "Shit! What the fuck?!" She gripped her bleeding hand in pain as she loudly cussed.

He raised an eyebrow as she pulled out the pen and tried to stop the blood flow. What exactly did she expect to happen? Was it absolute insanity that he had sensed? "I am sorry that you have hurt yourself, but as I was saying… I am James Patrick March and I am the owner of the Hotel Cor – "

"I don't fuckin' care. Can't you see I'm bleeding?" she shouted.

He scrunched up his nose, irritated that he was going interrupted, once more. What he was about to do was going to be a favour for everyone. "Yes and that shall make my job much easier. Thank you."

With that, he took several steps towards her with his knife in his hand, but she put up more of a fight than all the others.

She stumbled to the side and threw the lamp towards him, but he moved away.

"Wait! Wait! Don't I know you?" she asked with a frown on her face.

He shook his head. "I would remember if I saw someone like you," he replied. He glanced over to the wallet on the tablet and began to play with it. "Look… _Queenie_ , I'm really not here to talk, so forgive me if I'm being too forward with you."

Taking several steps towards her, he managed to lithely corner her. "Rest assure that your life has been repurposed for a greater cause."

"Wait! You're K – " Blood spewed from her lips as the rest of her words became gurgles.

He hummed as he quickly took her up to his suit. Something about this human seemed special. Maybe this was what Madi needed to heal.

"I hope you're hungry, darling. I brought you a gift!" He dumped the body down and John carried her over.

Just like before, she was unresponsive up until they massaged the liquid down her throat.

…

My entire throat was burning. It felt as if someone as trying to feed me liquid fire. I tried to push the person away, but I couldn't move my arms. In fact, I couldn't move anything. The liquid collected in my stomach and continued to sear me from the inside. What was happening? Why were they doing this to me?

A loud ringing echoed in my head. Soon, I realised that it wasn't ringing. IT was screaming – mine.

"What's happening to her?" one of them shouted. Despite how loud it appeared, it had a strange muffled quality that made it difficult for me to tell who it was.

The arms around me held on tighter, until it became painful. "S-Stop!" I continued to struggle, feeling as if I was going to burn to ashes if this went on.

"Open your eyes, Madi."

 _"Wake up,"_ a third voice joined.

And I did.

The world exploded into light. They danced and winked mockingly at me.

"Madi?"

My eyes shifted to the side to look at two familiar faces. "J-James? John?" I touched their cheeks just to make sure that they were real. There was a strange glow to them. "Am I dead?"

James kissed the palm of my hand. "No. You're alive."

I turned to John who looked as if he hadn't had any sleep in days. "Is S-Scarlett alright?"

"She's fine," he hoarsely replied. "She's downstairs with Holden and Iris."

A smile quirked my lips upward. "T-That's good. I'm glad…" With much effort, I tried to sit up and was only able to do so by leaning heavily on John.

It was then that I noticed that all the windows had shattered. The glass was scattered all throughout the room. "What happened?"

They shared a look before James shrugged. "IT doesn't matter as long as you're awake. We will have the windows repaired."

That didn't answer my question, but by the looks on their faces, something had definitely happened and it was still burning inside me.

I looked at the body on the floor. There as something about her that seemed familiar, but I couldn't figure out exactly what that was.

"I'm glad you're okay," James sighed, holding me as if I was going to drop dead at any moment. As far as I knew, that could still happen. I didn't know what was wrong with me and when I asked, they weren't quite sure either.

"Might be crazy blood…" James mumbled, giving the body a strange look. "She stabbed her own hand and seemed confused as if she wasn't exacting the pain or blood. When you drank from her, you started to hallucinate and scream. I thought I killed you." He looked dejected as if I had just kicked him. "All I wanted was to do you right…"

"I'm alright," I told him with a small smile. "I feel a little strange, but I'm alive and Scarlett alive. I think that's a win for us."

"Thank you." John kissed the top of my head. 'I should never have put you in that position, but I'm glad that you're both still here."

I nodded. After the relief faded a little, I thought back to what happened. "We'll have to do something about Alex. We can't give her another opportunity. I don't want her to be able to get her hands on the children, at all. We should be wary of her parents, as well. I'm pretty sure they're the type who will do anything for her."

With a poorly formulated defensive plan in mind, we went to collect the children. Scarlett was immediately crying when she saw me. I tried my best to reassure her that I was fine, but strictly, I told her that she couldn't leave without permission, again.

She nodded profusely, burying her face into my chest. "I promise. I'm really sorry!"

I sighed. She was already forgiven. Seeing her mother holding her at a gunpoint was probably enough for her to never do it, again.

Feeling a little left out, Holden also joined in on the hug, until everyone was basically clumped together.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Liz volunteered.

"Me, too," Iris added. "I better not see her anywhere near the hotel. I still can't believe that she would do this to her own child!"

Yes. Precisely.

We couldn't keep waiting idly for the justice system to work. They were far too slow and we couldn't report this incident because w really had no proof, anywhere.

I didn't want to have to end up killing her –

I froze.

"John, you never explained to me what happened to the Countess. When did you kill her?" I asked.

James shot him a look. "You told her?" he hissed.

That turned my attention to him. 'You knew, too?!"

He immediately averted his eyes.

"Go have your talk. We'll take care of these youngsters," Iris said, looking as if she would very much like to leave the room as soon as possible.

We relocated to the kitchen where I promptly explode don them. "What else have you been keeping from me? What's happening, John?!" I hated being lied to. It was never anything good.

Never had I felt as confused when I was with him. I t felt as if he was keeping a million things from me and I didn't like that. "Well?!"

"I think you should start talking." James gave him a pointed look.

"Me?!" John exclaimed, exasperatedly. " _You're_ the only who got me into all this!"

Crossing my arms, I watched them bicker back and forth, slowly revealing small bits of information that made me furrow my eyebrows.

"I wasn't the one who cut off the tongue or the cock…" James argued, making me gape at them. What were they talking about?!

"So that _you_ could finally rest easy," John hissed back. "Perhaps if you were a little more competent, you wouldn't have needed me to finish for you."

Eventually, it got to the point where I wanted them to stop, so I could ask them to clarify, but I was afraid that they were going to clam up and I'd never get the answers I wanted.

John growled. "You got into my head somehow! I was a cop before I met you and now, I'm jobless, divorced, and a serial killer!"

I blinked several times, wondering if perhaps I was still unconscious and this was all a horrible nightmare. What was even going on with my life?

"Your wife was a bitch, anyway." James rolled his eyes. "Remember how she made you put that noose around your neck? If it wasn't for Sally's infatuation with you, you would've joined me in the same ghostly predicament."

Alright, that was it. "You tried to kill yourself, again?! Why haven't I heard anything about it?" I was enraged! I told him time and time again to _never_ keep these things from me. Was he ever going to listen? "Tell me what is going on. I don't even care who's going to do it. _JUST TELL ME ALREADY!"_

John opened his mouth, but James beat him to it. "He's the elusive Ten Commandment Killer."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Aaaaand the secret is finally out!

Also… To be perfectly honest… I don't really remember how Queenie died in the show... Soooo _that_ happened. I hope you guys don't hate it!

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, Vivi H88** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Oops… Fixed, now! Thanks for telling me! Some questions answered? Teehee…

 **anonymouscsifan** : I felt bad for doing it to Scarlett, but I can just imagine Alex doing that if the opportunity arose.

 **Guest** : Madi is okay! Kinda? At least Scarlett knows not to run to mummy dearest, now!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

James was hoping that by throwing John under the bus, it would put him back into Madi's good books.

Instead, she completely blew up on both of their faces before leaving.

"This is all your fault," he grumbled, glancing at the goofy smile on the teddy's face. The flowers had already wilted and everything had gone to waste.

Jolly fuckin' good…

John let out a long sigh. "Look, it was both of your faults. I t really doesn't even matter. We just need to figure out how we're going to fix this with her."

At the moment, James couldn't agree more, but no matter what he did, they never worked. It was as if he was destined to be a fool to women.

…

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Was it real or had I been hallucinating the entire thing? James was the original Ten Commandment Killer before he was forced to kill himself when the police raided the Hotel.

He passed down his unfinished tasks to _John_ – my strict, no nonsense, always in control and always doing the right thing brother. What kind of mindset could he have been in for him to accept killing innocent people?

 _Where do you think James found blood for you?_

 _Who did you think that woman was? A daughter? A sister? A friend?_

My feet slowed to a stop. I was being a hypocrite.

How was I any better when I basically _ate_ people to live? Even though John killing those people still baffled me, I couldn't let this distract me from what was more important, right now, and that was the children's safety. Besides, in their journey to fulfill James' legacy, they had also gotten rid of the blonde bitch. Unfortunately, there was another one to deal with, now.

"Madison! Madison!" Iris suddenly came running. There was a look of horror on her face as she huffed and puffed in front of me.

"What is it?" I frowned back.

"I-It's the lawyer! He's here with the cops, accusing you of assault!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry?" I couldn't believe what I was even hearing. Me? Oh, this was rich…

How was this even happening? All I wanted was some peace and quiet to fully recover from my near death experience. Was that too much to ask for?

"Alright. I'll deal with this," I grumbled, stomping down to the lobby where Will Drake was already speaking to them.

When one of them noticed my presence, they all turned towards me at the same time.

Drake was the first to walk towards me. "I don't want any trouble in my hotel. Get this sorted or you're not staying," he firmly told me before departing.

I bit the inside of my cheek and turned to the others.

"Ms. Lowe," the lawyer sneered at me. "I was informed by my client that you had gone to visit her yesterday and then, promptly assaulted her in her own home. Her window was shatt – "

"Please, Mr. Cramer. Let us take it from here," the officer nudged him aside. I recognised him. He worked at the same station as John. Timothy Warden. 'Ms. Lowe. Can you walk me through what you did?" He told me the date in question.

I swallowed, contemplating my options. If I lied, he could easily tear me apart. Besides, my blood was probably all over the crime scene. I doubt John would've cleaned it up fast before leaving. There was too much evidence there to lie about not being at the house.

If I told them the truth, then I needed Scarlett here. I was sure that her words would hold more weight than mine. All she really had to do was try her best to answer each question as truthfully as possible without giving too much extra information.

With a deep breath, I began to narrate what I had done that day. "I woke up and noticed that Scarlett was missing. I'm sure you remember that she's John's daughter."

He nodded.

"We couldn't find her anywhere in the Hotel, so we went searching for her. We went to the park, the café… All the places we knew she liked to go, but we couldn't find her anywhere, so… So we went to our old in-laws' place. They didn't appreciate us accusing their daughter of kidnap." Alright, so I did add a few embellishments. We were pretty sure Alex had Scarlett right from the start, but there was no way to prove otherwise. We just didn't know where she was hiding.

"We couldn't just let it be, so we drove by Alex and John's house," I went on.

"It's only under Alex's name after the divorce," Timothy interrupted.

I nodded. "Right. Sorry. I'm still used to them both owning the place. I was there when he bought that house, you know."

He made a noise of understanding and gestured for me to go on.

"We got there and no one answered the door, so we went in and… and we found Alex with Scarlett." The tears came easily as I grabbed at the emotions I had felt that day. Recalling those memories had been hard. You can't even imagine what we saw, Timothy. Alex had a _gun_ pointed at her daughter's head. She was absolutely terrified. Alex kept screaming at us to give her Holden or she was going to shoot Scarlett. How could a mother do that to her own child?

"She wouldn't compromise. She wouldn't even give us a chance to leave to retrieve him. She was going to send her parents to the Hotel, but… What would she do once she had both children in her possession? If she was willing to harm her daughter to get to her son… She's gone mad!" I exclaimed.

Cramer took a step towards me. 'Listen here, Ms. Lowe. I know without a doubt that Alex would never hurt her children. Lying isn't going to do you any good. If you hadn't taken away her son – "

"Like how she had hid him from John and then convinced him that he was crazy so that he'd commit himself?!" I snapped. "Timothy, if you don't believe me, then talk to Scarlett. She was the one who suffered the most that day."

"We will," he gently replied. "But what we found at the scene was your blood and quite a bit of it, but there is no record of you seeking any medical attention anywhere."

I bit my lips. "It was a bit of blood loss, but nothing serious. As you can see, I'm fine. That's why I didn't go to the hospital. It's an expense that I didn't need."

"But you can afford it," he stated, staring me down. "No reason not to be a little more cautious about open wounds."

"Doesn't mean that I'll waste my money needlessly," I told him. "Money is money and there are other things I can spend it on."

He nodded, writing everything down into his notebook. "Alright. Take us to where Scarlett is and we'll have a talk with John, as well. How is he doing?"

The atmosphere instantly alleviated. "He's alright. I think being away from the toxic relationship really helped. He… He was at a really bad place before, Tim. I was so scared that I was going to lose him."

I walked into the rec room where Scarlett was playing Checkers with Liz.

The two officers were stunned by Liz's appearance and tried their best to regain their composures.

"Hello, gentlemen. I'm Liz Taylor," she purred, standing up to her full height to loom over them.

"H-Hello." Tim squeaked before clearing his throat. "I'm Officer Timothy Warden and this is my partner, Kris Lambert. We're just here to chat with Scarlett."

Liz shot me a look and I nodded in confirmation. "Well, I'll be at the dining room if you need me, darlings."

Scarlett clung on to me when I saw down beside her.

"She shouldn't be in the same room. She's going to start coaching her on what to say! This is inappropriate for an interrogation!" Cramer shouted.

"I-Interrogation?" Scarlett stuttered, squeezing my hand tighter. "W-Why am I being i-interrogated?"

I kissed her forehead. "It'll be alright, sweetie. They're good men. All you have to do is tell them exactly what happened."

"She - !"

"Alright, Mr. Cramer. It's time for you to leave. I don't need you riling up the child." Kris stood up and somehow managed to force Cramer away without even touching him.

Impressive…

If only I had the same intimidating presence.

Once Lambert locked the door behind him, he returned and gave us an encouraging smile. "Go on. There's nothing to be afraid of. This isn't an interrogation. We only want to hear your side of the story."

Scarlett looked uncertainly at me and I nodded back at her.

"I… I missed her and dad wouldn't let me go see her, so… so I went on my own. She asked me if I brought Holden with me. I didn't and she was so angry. She told me that I was s-stupid... and useless…"

The tears streamed down her face. "I just wanted to see my mom! But… But when she saw dad in the house, she took a g-gun and put I on my h-head. I was so scared. A-All she wanted was my stupid b-brother. She doesn't even l-love me! She didn't even care that I missed her! And then, she almost k-killed Auntie M-Madi… I was so scared… Am… Am I going to j-jail?"

She looked at the two men with wide, watery eyes.

I could already tell that she had won them over. A child's honesty was their secret weapon and their tears was the atomic bomb.

"You're not going to jail," Timothy gently told her. "Your statement really helped us. We'll make this right, okay?"

She nodded before burying her face into my arms.

"Is that it, officer? Do you need us to make an official report at the station? Do you want to see John?" I offered, stroking the girl's hair as hiccoughs hit her.

He nodded. "We'll go have a look at John, but just for formality's sake. I think we have everything we need to negate the charges against you. The only question we have now is… Are you going to press charges against her? I highly advise you to do so."

"I'll talk to John about it. Expect a call from us later today," I told him.

He smiled. "I'm glad the two of you are okay. Off the record, I always thought there was something not quite right about her. And… I think Andy may have had a thing for her for the longest time. I went patrolling around the neighbourhood a few times and saw them together at the house, while John was still at the station."

I paled. "I'm sorry? Are you saying that bitch was cheating on my brother?!"

"Hey… Don't tell Andy I told you, but… I've seen them kiss at the door a few times, too."

"Where is he, anyway? I thought he'd be all over this case. Is he too embarrassed to show his face here?!" I was enraged that my brother's supposed best friend was such a conniving bastard. How could I have no seen this before?

I shook my head. He was going to get it when I got a hold of his personal records…

"Who knows… He's been missing for a few weeks, now," he told me. "Don't tell anyone I told you. We've been keeping this pretty hush hush."

"No problem," I promised.

I carried Scarlett up to Rm 78 and found John alone. James was nowhere to be seen. Where had that man gone? I was curious, but it was probably best that he wasn't around. There was no one more suspicious looking than him. One glance at him and he'd most likely get arrested.

He looked up from his book. His feet abruptly dropped from the coffee table as if by instinct. Good. Even though he still did it, at least he knew that it was a disgusting habit.

"Hey, John." Timothy went over to him as if they never had any time apart.

John gave him a startled look before grinning widely at the other man. "Tim!" They gave each other a manly hug before he moved on to Lambert. "How have you been? Haven't seen you in a while."

Timothy laughed. "Good! Good! And you're looking well!"

I looked around and spotted Holden staring at the visitors in wonder. Immediately, I went over to him. If he lost control for even a second here, there was going to be trouble.

Luckily, he remained where he was and soon, I took the kids to Rm 64 where they bounced around, while I tried to get them settled in for movie night. It was going to be a light film. I didn't need Scarlett being more traumatised than she already was.

"I want ice cream!" Holden exclaimed after the movie was over. The bowl of popcorn between them was already empty. Where was he putting it all?

Scarlett looked shyly at me. " I want some, too." Ever since the incident with her mother, there would be moments where she'd tiptoe around me as if I was going to yell at her at any second.

To be honest, I didn't blame her for what happened. Obviously a child would naturally miss their mother. We should've moved her closer to us.

Surely, Holden would know better than to have a midnight snack, by now.

"Ice cream!" Holden shouted, again.

I shook my head with a smile. "It's getting late. Sweets will rot your teeth. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

He pouted. "Dad gives us ice cream!"

"Oh, he does, does he?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll have to have a talk with him later when you're both _asleep_."

There was a chorus of whines as I took them both by their hands. "Scarlett, you're going to sleep upstairs with us. I don't want anything to happen to you."

She looked down. "I'm really sorry. Are you okay, now?" she asked, squeezing my hand, tightly.

"I'm fine, Scarlett. Just listen to your dad and me. We only want to make sure you're safe. DO you know how much we worried?" I quietly asked.

She sniffed. "I know. I… I thought mom loved me, but all she wants is _him_." She glared at her brother who glared back at her, sticking his tongue out. "It's all his fault!"

I stopped to crouch in front of them. "That's not true. Your mother needs help. She needs to know what she's done is wrong. It's not Holden's fault that she is the way she is."

"Good night, John." I saw Timothy and Kris in front of the door. "We'll get this solved. I promise that you will find justice."

"Thanks. I'm counting on you guys," John said.

The two officers tipped their heads at me as they walked by.

John smiled as I walked up in front of him with the kids, but it quickly disappeared when he noticed the glare on my face.

"What is this about giving the kids ice cream at night?!"

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I'm finally planning the ending of this story and kind of have something in mind, now!

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, Vivi H88** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ).

anonymouscsifan: Oooh… Thanks for the info about Queenie! It had happened so quickly I kind of… forgot it all. Oops! I have a love/hate relationship with the Holden I made. I know he was very quiet in the show, but I'd imagine that he'd turn back into a normal child (behaviour-wise) after a while with his family. Uncle James is not happy with the little aliens running around in his hotel!

Guest: Too bad Uncle James doesn't love Holden! Teehee! I don't think Madi knew about the Ten Commandment Killer, yet… Of course, I am known to make these little mistakes and somehow completely forget important facts about my story…

Brookie Twiling: I think deep down, she always knew there was something dark about John. Even though he's always a stable for her, her memories of his

Vivi H88: Thank you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed. Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

There was no progress in the case regarding Alex. The police had her detained, but like before, someone bailed her out and she was free to roam within the city.

I was at the lobby with Iris who was dealing with a particularly nasty customer. What exactly were they expecting when they walked in? This place was older than they were.

"Look, if you don't want to stay here, no one is forcing you, but stop abusing the staff because you think you can get something out of it. No one really gives a flying fuck about your seven damn cars or your poor overworked servants. Now, fuck before I call the cops," I growled, crossing my arms. Too many times, I had to deal with assholes like them at my own business. I wasn't going to allow them to do the same with the poor unpaid staff here.

"You can't talk to me like that!" she huffed. "I want to talk to your manager!"

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, I'm my own boss and I don't work here. I'm only defending the friend you are currently verbally assaulting."

Her face went beet red. "I still want to talk to the manager of this old piece of shit!"

"Hello, ma'am. I heard you mentioned that you wished to speak to a manager?" His wicked grin graced his lips as he gave her a formal bow. "I am the owner, James Patrick March. How may I be of assistance?"

The woman froze and the anger seemed to be forgotten for a moment. "I – I…" She cleared her throat. "That bitch over there is bad mouthing me! I am a paying customer who – "

"Paying? You haven't paid for anything, yet, _bitch_ ," I scoffed. "All you've done is walk in and then start complaining about everything!"

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," she growled back.

James held out his hand. His dark eyes flickered to me before settling back on the other woman. "Why don't I show you to a room – free of charge – and you can tell me everything that you desire." The seduction in his voice brought a shiver down my spine and a pool of lava bubbling between my legs. I knew that it had the same effect on the _guest_.

He was definitely up to something, but the woman was none the wiser. She seemed to think that he was actually flirting with her.

When they disappeared up the stairs, I turned to Iris with a sigh. "He's going to kill her, isn't he?"

She shrugged with absolutely no concern. "Probably."

I dropped my face into my hands. When had people dying become the norm? I should be completely mortified, but I wasn't and that was the problem. I knew this was all wrong. I just couldn't find it in myself to truly care, anymore. As long as no one harmed what was mine, they could all drop dead and I was probably going to be perfectly fine with it.

"I think you're finally used to it. I've stopped caring after a few months," she told me in a comforting tone before turning to the man who had stumbled down the stairs. "Donovan!"

He let out a groan, running his hand through his tangled, shoulder length hair.

Ever since the Countess disappeared, also known as _died_ by some, he had been cooped in her old room. It was actually a bit of a shock to see him, again.

"Mom, I think I need help," he mumbled, thumping his head on the counter. 'I don't know what to do with myself. I can't believe that she just left… Why didn't she take me with her? Haven't I been loyal? Isn't my love enough?"

I shot Iris a look. Obviously, she had lied to him about the Countess' whereabouts, but it was probably for the best. Who knew what he would do if he found out that James and John double-team murdered her.

"Oh, don't be sad. I still love you very much. We can find you a good woman," Iris stated, trying to hug him, but he moodily pushed her away.

"Donovan, she's right. It's time to move on," I told him. It felt strange trying to give advice to someone older than me, but he certainly didn't act it. "You've been hung up on her for so long and when was the last time she even showed an ounce of compassion for you?"

He clenched his jaw. 'That's none of your business!" I could see the doubt slowly filling his eyes as it always did whenever anyone ever tried to criticise his relationship with the Countess. "I… I love her…"

"No, you like the idea of her. She had saved you from death and gave you something to focus on when you were going through withdrawal." I clamped my hand on his shoulder. "I think there's a very lonely husband who's missing his wife. Maybe you could talk to him? It might help."

He seemed reluctant at first. It was obvious that they had some previous confrontations that were less than ideal. With a little bit of pushing, he reluctantly agreed and staged back upstairs.

Iris shot me a look, wondering what I was thinking, but I merely grinned back at her.

"Madison…"

"Iris…" I used the same tone she used on me. "Don't worry. I know he still hasn't paid you, yet, but that's probably _her_ fault. He seemed genuinely surprised when I told him. Besides, he's rich and has a son. HE's also _human_. What more could you want?"

She sighed. "You're right. I guess I'm old fashioned. I wanted him to have a good wife and children. I guess that's not going to happen, is it?"

I smiled. "No, but Drake's son could be your grandson. He seems like an alright kid whenever he's around Scarlett. Don't worry. It'll be a huge upgrade from the blonde bitch."

Reluctantly, she nodded her approval.

I had stayed with her for a little while longer, until I hoped that James was done with whatever nefarious things he was doing.

"Alright! I better check on James. Hopefully, he didn't make a big mess. Whatever happened to Miss Evers? I don't particularly miss her, but it's strange how she hasn't been around for a while."

Neither of us seemed to know the answer. It was strange that she wasn't around James all the time. With everything that happened, the anomaly had completely escaped my notice.

"James?" I poked my head into the room. The scent was overwhelming. My stomach growled, while my mind was screaming at me to leave because there was something very strange going on inside. "James?" I called out, again.

After a moment, there was finally a response. "Right here, dear!"

The voice came from the bathroom, so I cautiously made my way there and saw a line of blood starting from the second tile in and trailing all the way to the tub where the woman's prone frame was dumped careless. She was sheet white with blood stain at her collar and sleeves. Otherwise, she was relatively clean.

"James?" Where has he gone, now? "What are y - "

Arms wrapped around me from behind. "Welcome home, love. I made you dinner."

Excitedly, he covered my eyes and led me out of the bathroom.

When I was seated, he finally took several steps back to reveal what he had done.

At first, it looked completely normal, but the scent indicated that it wasn't just spaghetti and meatballs. "You made this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. It was hard to believe, especially since this actually looked edible. I didn't peg him as someone who could cook.

"Of course. After what those two incompetent fools made you, I figured it was better to just make it myself," he told me, laying down a cloth over my lap and pecking my cheek. "Everything is fresh."

No doubt…

"Those two incompetent fools are my friends and they only ever meant well," I chuckled. I picked up the fork and dipped the tip into the sauce.

It was still inherently tomatoes with a good strong kick of garlic and copper.

Seeing that I was accepting the meal, he also poured out a glass of red.

"Do you like it?" He sat down in front of me and stared with expectant eyes.

I hummed, giving the perfectly al dente strands a long, thoughtful deliberation. "I don't know…" The corners of my lips were already twitching, but he didn't seem to notice.

"What do you mean?! It's my famous spaghetti and meatballs! No one does it better than me. I've ever put in a secret ingredient for you!" He looked as if he was about to burst.

I finally burst out laughing.

He continued to ramble in indignation.

"James – "

"James…"

"James!"

He stopped, staring at me with his mouth still opened and paused in mid rant.

"James, it's delicious," I finally managed to tell him and his face split into a wide grin, giving him a boyish countenance. No one would've been able to guess that he had just murdered a woman and drained her of every ounce of blood she had before using it in his cooking. "Thank you."

He was beaming so brightly that I actually wondered if I was going to get burnt. "Splendid! I shall cook for you every day if that is what you wish."

He looked as if he was about to ask something, but decided against it.

I had an idea why he was so endearing, but I had already forgiven him when I woke up after Alex's second attempt on my life. I had seen the remnants of what he had done – the wilted flowers and forgotten sweets.

Once the plate was polished clean, we cuddled on the couch with the television on, until John came back with the children.

"Auntie Madi! Look! I got this for you!" Scarlett ran over with a small tub of ice cream and a white plastic spoon.

"Thank you, sweetie." I lifted her into my lap, which prompted Holden to do the same to James. Needless to say, he was less than thrilled. For some reason, he hated children. I couldn't understand why. They were so cute, even when they were bratty.

He turned to me. "I have something I forgot to do – something important. I _really_ have to get to it."

Before he could leave, I grabbed on to him. "Stay, James. I want to know that this will work between us because the kids are here to stay."

A painful expression pulled at his face. He looked as if he wanted to argue, but knew that there was no use. Of course, the kids weren't going anywhere. They had nowhere else to go. "Alright… For you, my dear. I shall suffer through anything."

He was so dramatic, sometimes… It was pretty cute, but he probably didn't want to hear that. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

John plopped down on the other side of me after he shed his coat.

As we were, now, it truly felt was if as were a proper family. It didn't matter that we were all a little strange. It didn't matter that James was dead, I was half dead, and John was a serial killer. Somehow, it still worked.

And before we knew it, it was Hallowe'en. James had made sure that I had a full day of sleep before dragging me out of bed at midnight.

I didn't know what he planned to do at that time, but he was so full of energy and excitement that I couldn't possibly deny him anything, today.

"Get up, John!" I gave my brother a soft slap on the cheek. "Come on. Wake up!"

It was his fault that he didn't heed our advice and stayed up. "If you don't wake up, James and I are going to elope and you'll never see us, again."

His eyes snapped open. His hand quickly grabbed on to my wrist. "No, you're not," he growled.

James snorted from behind me. "Stop teasing the poor lad. His brain is full of fluff."

"You're not leaving me," John emphasised, until I rolled my eyes.

"It's impossible for us to elope and leave, John. James is just _kind_ of dead and he's just _kind_ of stuck here forever," I reminded him, flicking his forehead.

He brushed my hand away with a grumble. "Go on without me," he changed his mind after logic sank in. "I'll call and join you when the rest of the living are awake."

I looked at James who shrugged. "We can still elope."

Shaking my head, I smiled at him. "No, we can't. You're still legally dead with no valid ID." I gave him a peck on the lips. "Don't worry. I still love you."

He grinned. 'Love you, too. We'll leave him to his own boring sleep, while I have you all to myself."

Indeed, we got ready and walked out of the hotel with our arms linked together as if we were a couple from the old TV shows.

It was a beautiful night where the moon shone brightly above us. The stars were still overwhelmed by the city lights, but nothing was going to ruin our mood.

Seeing James take those first few steps had been amazing. I could tell how much he missed his freedom, but there was nothing we could do. One day a year was all he had.

"Let us go in there." He was looking at the nearby club where a long line up trailed down the block.

"I'm not wasting my time waiting." I huffed. That was not what I woke up at midnight for. "Let's go somewhere else."

James frowned. "NO. I wish to go there. You stated that this is my day and this is what I desire to do."

I sighed. "Alright. Let's line up, then."

We were at least behind two dozen other people and they were all dressed appropriately.

I was actually wondering if they would allow us entry. James was in his suit from a century ago and I was in a flowy red dress.

I thought this was just going to be a romantic stroll, but he definitely had something else in mind.

"Hey, grandpa! Don't break your bones in there!" someone suddenly shouted at us.

A scowl immediately appeared on his face. "I will end that pitiful life of his," he grumbled.

I chuckled. "They're not worth the trouble. I'm sure he uses more than Sally does. Obviously, they don't even care about their lives. Let them suffer by their own hands."

A puff of air left his lips before he gave a sharp nod. I kissed his cheek. He was behaving so well, lately. I had half the heart to keep him thinking that he was walking on egg shells, but that wouldn't be fair.

"Are you Madison Lowe?" A large man, one of the bouncers, came up to us.

James took a defensive step in front of me.

"Who's asking?" I raised an eyebrow, wondering who could possibly know my name.

"Follow me," the large man grunted.

"Madi…" James was surprisingly cautious, but I was cautious, but I was curious about who was requesting my presence, so I took his hand and dragged him with me.

If this was somehow Alex, I was really going to fry her. With my strange, uncontrollable powers, I was sure that I could do a fair bit of damage.

"What the Hell? We've been waiting for an hour!" some of the ones in the line up protested.

There was a chorus of agreements, but they were just going to have to deal with it.

The club was loud and dark. I could feel the bass vibrating through my body.

James looked as if he was about to bolt, but I kept my hand firmly in his. He wanted to be here. I wasn't going to let him go, now.

"Sir, she's here."

The man at the bar turned.

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Thank you Vivi **H88, BOOdalinski, Brookie Twiling** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **BOOdalinski** : Thank you! I try to be as in character as I can and I really love the feedback you gave me! Boop me on the head if I ever stray away. Also, John already knows. Alex was cheating on him with Andy and John had a fun time cutting off an important piece of him to add to his collection of trophies.

 **Guest** : Aww… Have a tissue! I still feel so bad doing this to young, little Scarlett. John tries to be a good dad, but he does some naughty things!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Hug heerrrr! She needs huuuuggsss!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Madi just told her to tell them what happened and she blurted everything out 'cause she's a poor, traumatised kid with not a lot of filters once she gets started. Yeah… Who would want to defend a child kidnapper but a slime ball like him? Hiccoughs is just another spelling for Hiccups xD

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!

 _Edited: Thank you_ _ **Brookie Twiling**_ _for pointing out the typos!_


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

"Really?" I huffed. "I didn't peg you for the dramatic type."

He chuckled, waving the bouncer away. "You wanted to enter. I merely allowed you easy access."

Alright, so that was kind of him. "Morgan, this is James. James, Morgan. He was the one who saved my life after the car accident."

I turned to see him glaring darkly at the other man.

Morgan smirked back. "Very nice to meet you, James." He stuck out his hand as any gentleman would, but James turned on his heels and tugged me away.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?" I shouted over the booming music.

"We're leaving!" he growled back, tugging me harder, until I was practically stumbling over my own feet.

"What?! I thought you wanted to be here." Why was it that even now, I was finding difficulty trying to understand him?

I dug my feet down and turned him around in the middle of the dance floor. "Let's tay here for a little. There's no need to be jealous. Morgan saved me. We're only friends at best. Besides, I love you and that is never going to change."

My body grind against his, until he relented, gripping my hips with his long fingers in an almost bruising grip. "You're mine, Madi. I'll never let you forget that."

Grinning, I pulled him into a kiss. This was the one place in public where no one was going to judge us for doing anything naughty and I was feeling plenty naughty, right now.

As we were consumed by the beat and the feel of each other's bodies, someone pressed up behind me. I half-heartedly tried to push them away, but the person caught my hand.

James looked as if he was about to kill someone again when he took a peek over my head and decided to pull me into a kiss, instead. I could feel the grin on his lips. Suddenly, I was reminded of the earlier times he had me blindfolded and gagged. Between them, I was relinquished of all control.

No one seemed to care that we were practically having sex amongst them. Our hands were everywhere, touching every part without discrimination.

When James slid his hand up my dress, I pressed closer to him to keep from flashing everyone else. No one needed to know that I wasn't wearing any panties.

As his finger slipped into me, I arched my back, rubbing my butt against the crotch behind me. "Mm… John…" I pulled his face to mine and meshed our lips together. "How did you find us?"

He nipped my bottom lip before mumbling. "I have a tracker on your new phone." I could feel the smirk against my skin. "Can't trust that you won't run into trouble again, can I? You're just a magnet for it."

I glared at him. "You could've asked me first."

"Don't ruin the mood," James snapped, pinching my bud of sensitive nerves and causing me to gasp and tremble. I was sure that my legs were useless at this point. I was being held up by the two men pinning me against each other. "Or I will have to punish you."

 _"Please_ ," I purred wantonly at him.

"I'm sure they have rooms we can rent by the hour here," John suggested, reaching forward to cup James' groin.

"If we're going to do that, we might as well return to the Hotel," I remarked, not liking the idea of going into one of those rooms.

"No, we're not returning there," James quickly said. Not until I have to."

"They have toys here," John went on, smacking my backside, eliciting a gasp from me.

I shook my head. "Do you know how many people have used those? I'm not touching them with a ten foot pole!"

"They'll probably have one of those in there, too," John chuckled.

I leaned my head back, humming instead of arguing. They knew I wasn't going to budge if I was firmly against it.

"Show me where we can purchase our own," James demanded, shooting John a look that made me a little nervous. "We'll take it back with us to the Hotel to commemorate the memories of today."

Really? He wanted to remember by using _sex toys_?!

Nonetheless, I gave them a small nod. I couldn't reject every suggestion and this was the lesser of two evils.

John was the one to lead us out of the dark dance floor and down the street, until we arrived in front of a black and red storefront that seemed innocent enough from the outside.

When we were inside, a very well-endowed woman greeted us. Her curves made me look down at my own much more modest form. I was feeling _very_ lacking.

"Hello, darlings," she purred in a deep, seductive voice that sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't particularly interested in woman, but she was oozing sex. "How can I help you, tonight?"

John was the one to speak to her. "We're here to look at your… selections. Anything new?"

She tapped her long, blood red nails on the counter in thought. "Yes. I believe I do. Follow me."

A frown was slowly making its way to my face. How did he know about this place and why did he seem so comfortable and familiar here? Should I wonder what he came here for? Did he have a secret mistress that he was keeping on the side?

Seeing the look on my face, James snickered. "Where do you think I got my extensive collection of… tools? I cannot go out myself and it's not as if I can ask anyone else to get them for me."

"And how long has this been going on for?" I asked, walking down two short flights of stairs and into what appeared to be a dungeon full of sex toys.

My eyes widened at the sight of some of those items. They were _not_ going anywhere near me! "Is that - ?!"

James nodded.

"Do people really - ?!"

He nodded, again. The dim light reflected in his eyes, giving them an especially mischievous glint. "We will have enough to tie us over until next Hallowe'en."

"No, no we are not," I adamantly stated, crossing my arms.

"If you'd like, we have a room to try out some of these," the woman grinned widely at me as if she knew exactly what was running through my head. "When you're done, leave the items in there. It will be properly sanitised. Please, only use the ones in the tester boxes."

John thanked her before he, too, turned to me. "Come take a look."

I shook my head, but was promptly pushed forward by James. "My day, remember? We don't have to use them if you're not comfortable, but I would like it as an option. Indulge me, my dear."

After a moment, I let out a long sigh and nodded. "Alright, what do you want? I'll pay for it, but I will not be touching any testers and neither will you. I don't trust used products!"

…

"J-John…" I buried my face into the crook of his neck.

"Shh… We wouldn't want anyone to find us doing this here," James purred, moving quickly from behind me.

I clenched my eyes shut, feeling my thoughts quickly melt away into nothing but the pleasure exploding in my body.

"Who's there?!"

My heart just about burst out of my chest when a beam of light passed through the trees. We were deathly still and luckily, the park ranger walked away without investigating further. This was not what I wanted anyone to see.

A chuckle vibrated against my chest, but it wasn't coming from me. John had his face buried in my hair as he found mirth at my expense.

"Shut up, John," I grumbled as we began to dress ourselves. "We could've been caught!"

"And what a show we would've given him," James snickered.

We made the rest of the way back to the Hotel to put away the recent purchases. As expected, both men tried to convince me to give them a try, but I shook my head. "You wanted to go back out. We're going to go back out."

"Tomorrow then." He was persistent.

I shook my head again.

"I'll get you to do it sooner or later," James promised.

Good luck with that.

When we walked down to the lobby, one more, a dark form flitted across the balcony and suddenly, James was airborne and flying down the rest of the steps. There was a loud crunch and his neck was at an odd angle. His eyes were glazed over, completely void of his mischief.

Did that… really happen? "J-James…?"

"Serves that fuckin' bastard right for killing me!" the dark-haired woman spat, flipping her curls over her shoulders. Then, she turned to me. "You! Shit, I knew he seemed familiar! He's still fuckin' deserved that!"

I couldn't keep my eyes off of him even when she stomped over to me.

"Madison and Kyle! How the Hell are you both alive? Well, I guess only you, now. I went back to the damn coven and they said you were both dead! I should've known better than to trust those bitches!" she went on.

I shook my head to try to rid the image from my mind, but it was useless. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know anyone named Kyle…" The rest of the words I wanted to say to her became stuck in my throat when I looked at her smug face. The tears welled up in my eyes and I found myself lunging towards the other woman. "I don't care if you're already dead! I'll fuckin' kill you, again, for what you've done!"

John tried to pull me off, but nothing was going to spare the remnants of her existence.

I kept my hand on her throat, until there was a gruesome crack that seemed so insignificant to the one I had just heard and her flailing body stilled. Even then, there was no satisfaction. It wasn't going to bring James back.

I turned and sobbed into John's chest. I never thought that I could lose him. How could a ghost _die?!_

"Where did his body go?" John suddenly exclaimed causing me to look at the base of the stairwell. Indeed, his broken body was missing and when I glanced back at the body that was supposed to be in front of me, she was also one.

"What's going on…?"

We went around, trying to see if anyone had somehow taken them away, but no one seemed to know anything. Could there be another ghost taking their bodies or did they simply fade away?

I sat numbly in his suit, feeling as if this was just a horrible nightmare. I couldn't seem to even wrap my mind around the fact that I was never going to see him, again.

Would things have been different if we avoided the Hotel, until after Hallowe'en? Perhaps that's why he had died in the fall. He was given some sort of physical body that could actually die.

Maybe if we had rented the room at Morgan's club. We definitely wouldn't be here if we had.

The sound of my phone ringing snapped me out of my thoughts.

It was Jack, but I was in no mood to talk to him. What was the point? I had done it for him, but he was gone now.

I didn't know how long I remained on the coach, staring at the black screen of the TV, but Hallowe'en had come and gone. We had that one last night together.

The bags of our purchases were still sitting by the bed. If I had conceded to testing them, we wouldn't have gone back out. If we hadn't left his room, he would still be alive. There were so many things we could've done to prevent this from happening.

We would've still bee alright…

"Come on. IT's time for bed," John murmured, kissing the top of my head. "You'll feel better with some sleep."

"Would he be there when I wake up?" I quietly asked, staring at him with wide eyes, hoping that he could promise me James' return.

"I…" He looked away. The loss had hit him hard, as well, but he was better at hiding it. "Go to bed. We've been awake for over twenty-four hours."

This was supposed to be one of the best twenty-four hours of our lives. James had been so excited. Now, he was gone. He was never going to be able to experience another Hallowe'en again. I would even allow him free reign to kill whoever he liked just to have him back, as long as it didn't include John.

"What are we going to do?" I whimpered, clinging on to John with all four of my limbs. I didn't want him to leave me, either. What if someone tried to kill him, while I was asleep? What if they tried to kill the children?

"Sleep. We'll figure that out in the morning," he mumbled, tightening his arm around my waist.

Eventually, I was plagued with nightmares. I'd be jolted awake, only to fall back into their dark grasps. Over and over again, I had to watch him die.

The worst had been on the bus. It had exploded in front of me. His dark, burnt body was carried out. Several limbs had been blown away, scattered on the cold, metal tables in the morgue. Pieces remained missing no matter where I looked. I couldn't put him back together. I couldn't make his heart beat for me, anymore.

My eyes suddenly snapped open and I saw a pale form loom over our bed, staring at me with wide, tortured eyes. A gag prevented the humanoid being from speaking, but I could tell that it was trying to speak. The strange skin-like material that was wrapped around its bony form prevented it from doing so.

It tilted its head and reached a clawed hand towards me, but I jerked back, waking up John who let out a groan and pressed his half-erect member against me.

The demon groaned, clenching its eyes shut. It was almost as if there was an actual human being beneath the strange outer shell.

"What are you?" I whispered, extending my hand towards the claw that had remained motionlessly hovering behind John's unsuspecting form. It was probably an extremely bad idea, but I was curious. I couldn't even tell if what I was seeing was real.

When I made contact with the cold flesh, a shiver went straight down my body.

This creature was definitely real. "What are you?" I asked, again.

It let out another low groan. It was almost as if it was in pain and I could see why. The skin wrapping didn't look particularly comfortable and that metal casing around his cock… It had to be a casing because there was no way that contraption could actually be part of it.

"Go to sleep, Madison," John groaned, pressing my face against his shoulder.

My eyes peeked over, remaining in contact with the demon. They widened when it bent over John and gently trailed its finger down the exposed side of my face.

Tingles went down my spine and it wasn't because of the cold. There was something familiar about it.

Why…?

" _Sleep."_

His voice was in my head. It was so quiet. I even questioned if it was actually there. Maybe losing James had done something to me. I could be hallucinating. This couldn't be real because this being reminded me of my ghostly lover. C-Could it actually be him?

No. No, that wasn't James. He was gone.

" _Madi…"_

I gasped, trying to jerk back once more, but John kept me in place. Suddenly, the warmth from my brother was gone and I was somehow enveloped by its cold body. The skin was slimy. His dark eyes had a red glint as they pierced into mine.

" _Madi…"_

The voice was nothing but a sigh. "Who are you?"

Strangely enough, I wasn't feeling scared, anymore. This demon was holding me as a lover would and it didn't feel wrong. Why?

" _I missed you…"_

And then, the body disappeared, replaced by wisps of black that seemed even darker than the darkness surrounding us.

" _Please…"_

I looked confusedly at it.

" _Please…"_

" _Save me_ _."_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Don't kill me!

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, Vivi H88** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Oops! Thanks for pointing them all out! I changed it right after. Sometimes, my brain just doesn't process things properly and my fingers refuse to listen… I decided not to write another Devil's Night and went straight to Hallowe'en 'cause I wasn't quite sure how I wanted that chapter to go. I might add one in the future. Who knows?

Aaaaand _yes!_ It's Morgaaaan! I just can't let him go. Not a big role for him here. Just thought I'd upgrade him from a bar in Jupiter to a popular club in… wherever they are… I can never remember where exactly each season of AHS is set in.

 **Guest** : I completely agree! Alex shouldn't even be out in public. She is a danger to everyone. Sorry, just Morgan popping up to say hi! Nothing too dramatic… umm… in that particular scene, at least. I initially wanted it to be Alex, but then that wouldn't make sense, so I changed it. Sorry for the non-exciting cliffhanger!

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : It's Morgan! James still felt like he was in the doghouse with Madi, so he's trying to suck up to her, but Hallowe'en is his day! Or… it was supposed to be… Ahahhaa…

 _Edit: Thank you_ _ **Brookie Twiling**_ _for helping me edit this chapter!_


	35. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

My eyes fluttered open and I stared at an impossible face "J-James?"

He grinned. "Hello, my dear. Have you missed me? I know that I missed you."

It was too early. I had to be hallucinating. My brain was so full of fluff that it was trying to conjure something that would ease me.

"John… John, wake up. I think I'm going crazy," I hissed, nudging frantically at his shoulders. "John!"

He groaned, rubbing his eyes before opening them to gaze blearily at me. "What is it, Madison?"

Seeing the look of horror on my face, he turned and froze. "James?"

Alright, so I wasn't crazy. That was good to know, but that also didn't explain how he was right in front of us when we clearly saw him _die_.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?" he asked with a confused look on his face as if we were the strange ones.

"H-How are you alive?" I stuttered before quickly correcting myself. "I mean… Not alive _alive_ , but… How are you _here_?! I saw you die! _Again!_ That woman pushed you down the stairs. I heard your neck snap!"

He rubbed his neck. "Yes, that wasn't very pleasant. I would like to avoid that happening, again."

Pushing the sheets away, I threw myself into his arms. My knees were probably digging into John's ribs, but he was just going to have to deal with it, until I was ready to let our ghostly lover go.

James chuckled, happily holding me in his arms as I refused to let go of him. "Is there a reason you are blubbering all over my suit?"

"I thought I was never going to see you, again!" I sobbed into his shoulder.

"Get off, Madison!" John grumbled before eventually managing to wiggle away. "If you weren't fuckin' dead, again, then where were you? She's been crying all night!"

"Hey, I needed time to get back here," James argued. " _You_ try dying! It's not fun and games for me, either."

It was then that he explained how spirits could still die, but they would wake up in a dark room before emerging somewhere in a broom closet. It was extremely undignifying for him, which didn't matter to me, at all. He could wake up in a trash bin and I'd still be happy.

I just needed him to be there with me in any place; any form. I wasn't complete without him, so I clung on to him like a baby koala. At random times of the day, he'd carry me naked around the suite when John had the kids at the park. They didn't need to see us like this.

"Mm… I like this," he groaned. "Makes up for missing the rest of my Hallowe'en Day."

I kissed up his neck before giving his ear a soft nip.

"I still would've preferred to never see you die," I scolded, brushing his hair back and pulling him into another kiss.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that made us freeze. Who could it be? Everyone knew better than to disturb us when we were in here and John would've sauntered in without even informing us, unless the kids were with him.

I unwrapped my legs around his waist and tried to wiggle away from his arms, but he held on tight, rubbing his moustache along my cheek, until I was squirming and giggling. "Ignore them. We have better things to do," he groaned.

"James!" I exclaimed, playfully pushing his face away.

The door clicked and someone walked in, causing me to freeze in horror, while James was unaffected as he continued to roam his hand around my body.

"Don't mind me! Don't mind me!" she stated, dusting at the lighting as if she hadn't just interrupted a very intimate moment.

James cleared his throat, reaching over to retrieve a blanket to wrap about my naked body. "Ms. Evers! What a pleasant surprise! We haven't seen you as of late. Have you been busy?"

I slinked away to find some clothes, while he continued to engage in the very awkward conversation. I really wished that he, too, would just cover himself a little.

What was she doing here after disappearing for so long and why did she think it was alright to just burst in here without receiving permission? True, she had done this a couple of times before when I was in the room, but it was really starting to get on my nerves that she was bold enough to carry on while we were clearly busy. It didn't help that I knew how enamoured she was with James.

"I heard you finally got rid of _her_ ," Ms. Evers said, while I threw James' clothes over to him. "It was about time. Her presence here had run its course."

"Ah, yes…" James nodded. "John did a good job there. I really should've had it done, sooner, but the moment had to be perfect."

"Of course! Nothing but the best for you, Mr. March," she laughed, ripping the bed sheets from the mattress as she did so.

Something about her actions didn't quite fit her tone of voice. In fact, her sudden reappearance was very suspicious to me. Where had she gone and why did she return, now? There had to be a reason.

"Come on, my dear. We shall allow her to clean. We will go to the dining room for supper," James murmured before turning back to Ms. Evers. "We'll be back in a couple of hours. I'm sure you'll be done by then?"

"Most certainly! Have a good dinner! Call me if you need anything – anything, at all!" She waved rather joyously at us.

If James didn't find anything peculiar about this, I was really going to have to start questioning his intelligence. When I mentioned it to him, he shot me a look.

"Why the Hell did you think I got us out of there?" he exclaimed in the elevator. "I've done some nasty things, but that was more than I could handle! I'd prefer it more if it was John in that maid outfit watching us!"

I rolled my eyes. I really didn't want to see my brother in that old, rumple dress.

After dinner, it was fortunate that Ms. Evers was already gone. That was good. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to handle anymore of her, today.

I told John about what happened when he brought the kids back. Like me, he found the encounter highly unusual and was going to have to look into it, but what could he really find? It wasn't as if he could just search up her criminal record and have a list of all her infractions.

Even if I didn't quite trust my own judgment, I definitely trusted John. He still had his detective instincts and it had rarely led him astray. That was… barring all the murders and marrying Alex, of course. I still wasn't quite sure how that happened.

A few days later, we found nothing strange. Ms. Evers continued to stroll in at three in the afternoon every day like clockwork and would leave an hour later with a cheerful look on her face.

James had tried to reassure me that everything was fine and that she was probably just in a strange mood, but I was still on guard.

I watched her clean every furniture and reorganise anything that seemed remotely out of place. I even watched her in the small kitchen corner, wondering if she was going to poison any of the products, but nothing. She did nothing but clean and then, leave with a happy declaration.

"Hey, Madi…" James appeared out of nowhere in front of me. 'You know that weird thing you did after draining the weirdo witch bitch?"

"Not really… I mean, I know that somehow, I had broken the windows, but nothing unusual has happened since then," I told him, looking down at my hands as if it could somehow give me the answers that I didn't have.

"Maybe we can do something fun with it," he suggested with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Like I said, I don't think it's going to happen, again." I really didn't want to know exactly what fun he thought I would be able to do with shattering windows.

Unfortunately, he was not easily deterred. He nagged and nagged, until I let out a sigh and agreed to go with him on to the roof where he made me do random hand motions like a stupid magician.

"Just say it, Madi," he urged.

"No, James. This is stupid," I groaned, dropping on to the floor to stare aimlessly at the clouds.

"Madi…"

Clenching my eye shut in frustration, I eventually gave in because it was easier and waved my hands around. "Abra kedabra alakazam!"

We waited five whole seconds.

"I told you it's not going to work!" I cried. "Can we just lay here and do nothing? I'm feeling lazy. I don't want to do anything right now."

"You guys are pathetic!"

I was on my feet in a split second and readied myself for an attack, but the dark-skinned woman didn't appear to be in an aggressive mood, today.

"Calm down," she scoffed. "I can't kill _you_ , obviously." She gestured to James. "And I don't really want to kill _you_." She looked at me. "So I'm just going to have to deal with being stuck here in this stupid hotel. It's so fuckin' old and fuckin' stinks! I better have a nice room to myself with full room service. If I do, I'll help you control the powers you got from me."

I shared a look with James before shrugging. It wasn't as if the rooms were ever full and the ghosts tend to do whatever they wanted, anyway.

I nodded at her. "So what's your name? I'm Madison Lowe."

"You married? You have a new last name," she pointed out, making me frown.

"No, I was born with this name," I told her. She kept implying as if she somehow knew us, but I had never seen her before.

Giving me a strange look, she decided not to pursue the subject. Instead, she finally gave me her name – Queenie – and went on about these "powers" I had obtained after consuming her blood.

"Alright, so first, you have to clear your mind," she started.

I listened intently to what she had to say and after hours of doing random things that nearly made me fall asleep, I somehow managed to make little sparks of fire with my hands. Well… Sparks of fire may have been a bit of an overstatement. It was more like a wisp of smoke that clung on to my clothes and made me smell like a smoker.

"Wow… You're fuckin' horrible," she snickered.

"Shut up," I mumbled, ignoring James who also seemed to be having a jolly at my expense.

There were many days spent where Queenie tried to teach me magic, but I wasn't particularly talented at it. It was as if the stolen powers wanted nothing to do with me, so when she suggested I try her voodoo tricks and stab myself in the hand, I adamantly refused.

The likelihood was that I was going to hit an artery and bleed out. Then, James was going to go on another guest to give me a slew of blood from whatever human guests were left in the hotel.

"Whatever… Get me cabled TV and I'll try to see if anything can be done about your incompetence." She smirked at me before disappearing.

I sighed. I wasn't sure if this was ever going to work out, but if I could control even a fraction of the power, it would be nice.

When I returned to my room, I spotted James with Holden in his lap. To say the least, he was not looking happy, at all.

"Get off!" he grumbled, gently pushing the boy off who remained compliant for all of two minutes. 'Stop it. I said, _get off_!" The cycle continued, until I couldn't handle it anymore.

I walked up to him and picked up Holden from his lap.

"Auntie Madi!" he cried, vibrating with energy only a child like him would have. "Look what I made!" He thrust a block figure, which had one leg longer than the other, in front of my face.

"Looks good." I grinned at him. "Have you been having fun with Uncle James?"

He nodded happily. "He got me ice cream with chocolate syrup and sprinkles!"

James glared at him as I lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Did he? After I told him that there will be no more sweets after six?"

Holden nodded, again.

"Well, I'll need to have a good talk with Uncle James. He should know better by now. What if you lose all your teeth? You wouldn't want that, would you?" I bounced him in my lap.

He shook his head. "But daddy gives us ice cream before bed!"

Ah… The things one can learn from children's inability to filter anything.

"Still?" These men were really trying to drive me mad. "I will have a word with daddy, too. No more sweets."

He let out a high pitch whine.

"Now, it's time for you to brush your teeth and get ready for bed," I told him, dropping him off in the bathroom.

I sighed, walking back to James who had a sheepish look on his face. "Ice cream?"

"It's still up here." He gestured to the small cardboard container on the counter. "I'm sure we can think of a few things to do with it." He placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a firm squeeze.

I brushed his hand off. "Not until all the kids are asleep and no more ice cream for them before bed!"

He, of course, eagerly agreed, while sidling up closer.

It was going to be another one of those nights…

For the next few days, strange things started happening. They were little things at first. Objects were misplaced, some were missing. Many were items that James had given me and although I was going to miss them, they were replaceable. It soon became things that were a little more dire. T He kids would disappear for a few hours and no one seemed to know where they had gone.

Every time, I'd panic, wondering if Alex had taken them, again, but they'd return shortly after with grnis on their faces.

Whenever I asked where they had gone, they told me that a kind lady played with them. They couldn't tell me a name or anything too specific about her because it was part of their "secret mission."

"Scarlett, we have to know who this mystery woman is. Do you remember what happened the last time you left without telling any of us?" I gently asked her. It didn't give me any joy to bring up that day. I knew how distraught she had been afterwards, but it was necessary for her safety. I couldn't allow anyone with malicious intents spending time with them and having the chance to take them away.

She looked down with a small pout on her face. "But she said I won't be able to play anymore if I tell anyone."

"Come on, sweetheart. DO you really want to play with someone who is trying to make you lie to your parents?" I don't know when I actually began to think of myself as their mother, but it seemed appropriate, now.

Eventually, she spilled, despite Holden's protests on the side. John caught him before he could run off.

"It's a lady with red hair," she replied. "She said we could call her Auntie Hazel."

Both men looked at me with frowns on their faces.

"It's Ms. Evers," they stated in unison.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Not really a cliffhanger, this time! I decided to be a good girl!

Also… I can't seem to digest sugar-free chocolates… I bought one 'cause it was near where I was working and I was craving sweets… Biiigggesssttt mistake of my liiiife!

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, BOOdalinski** , guests ( **Guest** and **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Thank you so much for pointing them out! I really need to stop working on these at 3am… I'm also not sure if it should be grind or grinded there xD Grinded sounds so strange to me… Aaaaand James isn't actually gone! No worries there. He just went into that strange in between before coming back. Don't be angry with meeeeee~! Teehee… There may be other reasons for that later on.

 **BOOdalinski** : Three-person-couple! HAHAHA! I wouldn't be surprised if Alex attacked James because she had caught him with John in a very compromising position some chapters ago. No butt whooping, yet, but _sooooon_!

 **Guest** : Jealous James is so fun to write! I will also love writing James, John, and Madi together. Probably more to come.

 **anonymouscsifan** : I keep changing my mind on how I want to connect everything, especially since I'm thinking of discontinuing " _V_." Maybe I'll get the inspiration to write that again and really give the background story to everything that is missing to keep this one coherent series.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

 _Edited: Thank you_ _ **Brookie Twiling**_ _for pointing out where I need to edit some more!_


	36. Chapter 36

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

There was something strange about the woman and I didn't trust her, at all.

From the very beginning, she was very passive aggressive towards me. It stemmed from her unrequited love with James March. If he hadn't fallen in love with her in the last… eight (?) decades they had been working together in the Hotel, then it was never going to happen.

Had her anger only involved me, I would've allowed her to have her way. It didn't bother me that she tried her hardest to tear us apart because James and I were stuck to the hip – quite literally at times. Getting the children involved, however, was a completely different story. No one was ever going to hurt the kids again if I could help it.

The incident with Alex and Scarlett was enough to traumatise the poor girl. I was going to do everything in my power to prevent it from happening, again.

"If you see any strangers, you have to let us know first before you talk or go off with them. We don't want anything to happen to you," John told them.

They bobbed their small heads up and down in understanding. "We will!"

I smiled. They were good kids.

We took them out the next day to give them incentive to listen to us. It had been such a beautiful day. T he sun was burning bright, so I had to lather up Holden and myself with sunscreen and bring a large parasol to prevent any injuries.

I was sure that we looked strange, but I didn't care. I was in such a good mood that I didn't think anything was going to bring me down.

It should've clued me in that something would go horribly wrong. Peace and quiet just wasn't a part of my life.

…

My eyes snapped open and I instantly knew that something was wrong. I was not in my room, but I knew perfectly well where I was. I had been here a few times before, but only for brief moments.

It looked very different in the darkness, but I was certain I knew where I was, which meant that I knew exactly who had taken me here. I just couldn't remember how it happened.

I wiggled around and felt that both my hands and my legs were bound. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get free. The only thing I managed was rubbing my limbs raw against the thick, scratchy rope.

"Mmph!"

Fuckin' Hell!

Did they really have to put duct tape over my mouth? It was going to be a bitch taking it off.

"Mmph!"

Footsteps outside the room began to draw near, until the door opened and a familiar face came in.

She gently placed a tray of food by my feet before backing away and closing the door behind her.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Really? How exactly did she think I was going to eat that or was that there only to taunt me?

Closing my eyes, I worked on calming myself down. I had to keep a cool head, but all I could do was think of all the ways I was going to tear them apart.

It must've been a good few hours later before she finally decided to grace me with her presence.

She had the most smug look on her face. I just wanted to rip it off. "Not so fun, is it – being stuck here?"

"Mm mm mph!" I wished that she could hear just how much I hated her. I hoped that she could feel it radiating off of me.

She threw her head back and laughed. "This. This is what you get for taking my children away from me. It's _your_ fault that I've lost everything. Was it you who also had John fuck a man? Was that funny for you – to see me lose to a fuckin' man?"

My eyebrows rose. How did she know about _that_? Had she been spying on us or did he flat out tell her? Then again, we did have that moment where we had sex with her on the phone. I wished that I could've seen her expression when it happened.

"Well, you got what you wanted, but I'm going to take it all back. I'll have my baby with me… Unless John wants you _dead_ , he'll be here with Holden, soon," she taunted.

I gritted my teeth, glaring at her and hoping that she would just spontaneously combust.

At this point, I didn't even care about legality issues, anymore. I just wanted her gone. Whether she suffered for it or not didn't matter. Her existence was a continuous risk for all of us.

She looked down at the tray of cold food. "Don't you like my mother's cooking? It's rude to not finish what is given to you."

She stepped forward and tore off the duct tape from my face. I immediately spat at her and she backhanded me. It was worth it to remove her smug expression.

"Stupid bitch!" she cursed, wiping her cheek. "If you want to starve, then _starve_!"

With that, she finally left me alone, but she hadn't replaced the duct tape back over my mouth. I needed to be strategic about this. If I screamed my head off, now, they were just going to remove my only weapon and no one was even going to hear me.

Maybe I could get Mary to sympathise with me. When she came by to drop off the food, she knew that this was wrong. She couldn't even meet me in the eyes.

Unfortunately, it was going to be a few more hours before I saw anyone. It was Frank this time and he was a lot less merciful.

"You brought this on yourself," he told me with a shake of his head. "My daughter is a good woman. All she wants are her children. You've done her wrong. You should've returned them back to her."

"Do you even know what she did to Scarlett?" I whispered in disbelief. "She had Scarlett and she held the girl at gunpoint, demanding to trade her for Holden. A good woman doesn't do that. She doesn't _love_ her children; she's just obsessed with Holden. Can't you see that she needs help? There's something not right about her head."

He let out a long sigh. "No, this is on you. Everything that's happened is your fault. You've torn or family apart. When I heard that you were a user, I knew that you were going to be a bad influence. Look at what you've done to my baby and even your own brother. They're jobless because of your actions!"

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "Everyone is responsible for themselves. I've learned from my mistakes years ago and look at how far I've changed from that foolish teenager. I had a very successful business. I'm making nearly seven figure salaries a year. The past doesn't define who we are, Frank. We don't have to be enemies. Don't you want what's best for the children?"

He swallowed. "I… I know about your mind games and they're not going to work on me. Children are best with their mother."

Giving me a very stern look, he left, giving me no more chances to change his mind.

How could he be so far into his delusions? Surely, anyone could see what she was doing was wrong. How was I going to convince him otherwise? There had to be a way…

I wiggled my wrist some more, wincing when the rope finally broke through several layers of skin.

Could I try to use whatever pathetic powers I had to break free?

Maybe I could generate enough smoke to trigger the water sprinkles and fire alarms…

 _So useful_ …

I let out a sigh and tied to clear my mind that way Queenie had taught me. It helped to calm me down, but really not much more than that. I wasn't even able to conjure up a wisp of smoke.

It was many hours later before Mary came back with a new tray of food and taking away the uneaten one from the day before.

"What's the point?" I croaked. "How am I even supposed to eat with my hands tied?"

I was so tired, but too uncomfortable to sleep for more than an hour at a time. I was also starving.

She shrunk away, quickly leaving the room with the scent of eggs and bacon wafting through the air.

My stomach gave a loud rumble. I would be happy with just about anything to satiate the bag of bile. I was even happy with water.

Suddenly, there were several loud bangs from within the house and shouting. Alex was angry about something or another.

"I only want what is mine! Wouldn't you do anything for me?" Her footsteps raced up the stairs. Her voice grew louder and louder and then, the door swung open.

She was in that ridiculous black dress, again. Her undo hairstyle was a mess, strands flying in every direction and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Do you think someone like _her_ deserves happiness more than me?" she shrieked, brandishing a steak knife in her hand.

"Honey, th – that's not it at all," Mary tried to reason, staring fearfully at her own daughter. "Of course, I want what's best for you. I love you, sweetheart. Your father and I are just worried."

Alex rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to worry about. As soon as John is here with Holden, everything will be right again. We'll be one happy family."

I let out a small sigh. "Do you really think John will bring his son here, where the boy will be hurt by a lunatic woman? He has a little more common sense than that. He loves his children. He would never put them in danger."

She glared back, storming over, and pulling me up by my hair. "So you think he'll leave you here to die?"

I closed my eyes with a taunting smile. "At least I'd die protecting the people I love. I can't say the same for you."

Suddenly, there was a blinding pain somewhere on my upper body. I let out a pained gasp, my eyes snapping open to see the knife protruding out of me.

My shoulder.

She had only stabbed my shoulder. That was… kind of good, but it hurt like a motherfucker!

"Alex!" Mary cried in horror. "What are you doing?!"

"Shut up!" she snarled. "I'm teaching her about pain. It's not even a fraction of what she's put me through. Do you know what losing Holden has done to me? I'm not complete, mother. It's as if someone had torn my heart apart and _she_ _did this!"_

She dropped me back on to the floor as she ripped the blade out of me. Blood flowed freely, blossoming and staining my filthy white blouse.

"You did this… You did this…" she mumbled, stumbling out of the room as if she was sleepwalking.

I curled up into a ball, trying to ease some of the agony, but nothing helped. The way my hands were tied behind my back stretched painfully at the newly made hole in my body.

Mary lingered in the room for only a minute more to stare at my pitiful state before quietly walking away. How could they go on day after day knowing that there was a bleeding captive in their home? Perhaps monsters bred monsters, after all. These people were really no better than Alex.

They wouldn't help me…

As I continued to drown in self-pity, I nearly missed the sound of the door opening again and the tiny woman came back in. Her arms cradled a large towel, bandages, and hydrogen peroxide.

She wordlessly knelt in front of my body.

I looked away when she poured the clear liquid on to the wound. Even then, I couldn't suppress the whimpers of pain. My body was beginning to shake violently.

"She's a good girl," she quietly told me. "She's just lost, right now. If only you knew her when she was a young girl. She was the smartest in her grade and whenever anyone needed help, she'd be the first one there." The tears began to fall from her face and she allowed them to drop into her lap. "Of course, I know what she's doing is horrible. How can I not, but what can I do? I don't know where we went wrong. It's like one day, I woke up and I can't recognize my own daughter anymore…"

I didn't know how to respond to that. I had hated them for so long, but now, I found myself sympathising with her. She was caught between doing what was right and her love for her daughter.

"We can… We can still have a family. Th-This doesn't have to end in bloodshed." It was a little too late for that, but this was my chance. "We can get Alex some help."

She looked down, pulling one last time at the bandages to make sure it was tight. "I'll talk to Frank and… m-maybe we can see our grandchildren again, soon?"

I nodded. "Once we know it's safe, John and I can bring them over. I know they miss you."

She finally wiped away her tears and gave me a watery smile. "Thank you. I – I'll try my best to help you out of here. You don't deserve this."

I returned her smile.

That was probably the best I'd get without pushing my luck.

I was still skeptical that Frank would be as kind about my predicament, but I didn't have much to lose at this point.

Who knew that this was the moment of my life where I would really be on the verge of death so damn often? If the drugs and alcohol didn't kill me back then, I didn't think anything would. I never though I'd end up being kidnapped in my in-laws' home.

Eventually, exhaustion overwhelmed me and the darkness consumed my world. I was alone and this place seemed all too familiar, now.

 _I lay on nothing until its cold body slithered up against mine._

 _"Madi…" Its head nudged my cheek in affection. "Madi…" There was a tone of sadness in its voice as it brushed a tendril against my wound._

 _"I'm alright," I sighed._

 _I was, at least, finally away from the physical pain here. It was strange that an eerie place like this could bring such comfort._

 _Sure, it was a little lonely and this creature was a little strange, but I was at peace here._

 _This was where I could forget about my problems._

 _It hummed, causing a rumble to vibrate through my body. "Madi safe…"_

 _"Won't let anything happen to Madi…"_

 _"Madi_ _ **mine**_ **."**

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Since this story is finally coming to an end (I can't believe it's over 100k words now!), does anyone want to see Madi in Roanoke? It's probably my least favourite season, but I have a bit of an idea of how I want to do it and since I didn't like much of what happened, a lot of it will probably be original work.

Thank you **Brookie Twiling, BOOdalinski** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Brookie Twiling** : Thanks for pointing out the typos and grammar mistakes! I liked Hotel waaaay more than I thought I would. Also, I think James and John would rather just give into the kids' requests for sweets rather than have to deal with them crying xD

 **Guest** : Hehe… Whatever is Ms. Evers up to?

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'm kind of excited and dreading the next season. Murder House will always be my absolute favourite and Cult is a pretty close second (if they only had a different ending!).

 **BOOdalinski** : HAHAHA! Is she? :P Maaaaaybe

 **Guest** : Thank you! I'm debating that. If there is enough interest for a Roanoke story, I'll go with it!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	37. Chapter 37

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

 _John, where are you?_

 _Have you forgotten me?_

I had lost track of how many days have gone by since I was taken. Time and time again, I tried to use the weird powers, but all I ended up accomplishing was… nothing. Abs-fucking-lutely _nothing!_ The only things burning were my wrists and ankles.

Fortunately, Mary began to help me eat and drink. No amount of talking could convince her to release me.

"Do you want any more water?" she quietly asked, wiping gently at my wounds.

I shook my head. That wasn't what I needed. I needed blood to quench this craving before I tried to suck her dry. I also needed it to heal. When I asked for it the first time, she had been horrified. I tried to tell her why I needed it and that Alex had the same necessities, but she wouldn't hear any of it. Obviously, her daughter hadn't told them about her affliction.

"I can't stay here anymore, Mary," I croaked. Despite drinking cups and cups of water, my throat was still as dry as the Sahara Desert. "I'll die." I could already feel my body slowing down; my brain no longer functioning at full capacity. No amount of normal food was going to cure that.

"You'll be fine. As long as… John brings the children, everything will be back to normal. You'll see…" By her tone of voice and the grimace on her face, it was evident that she was trying to convince herself more than me.

 _John…_

It was two days later that another argument broke out. Alex was shrieking over something I couldn't hear before bursting into the room.

"Please, honey. Calm down…" Mary sobbed.

Frank was holding his wife close with a stricken look on his face. "We'll figure it out, okay?"

"No!" Alex screamed. "John is not coming. There's no point keeping her anymore. She's a waste of space and money… She's a liability!" She began to pace anxiously in front of me. "She has to go… She has to go…"

"We can just let her go," Mary suggested.

Alex pointed her knife at her own mother. Are you fucking crazy? She'll call the cops and we're all going to go to jail! No, she has to die. We'll drain her dry and… and we'll cook her parts. No one can know what we've done!"

Mary let out a horrified cry and Frank tried his best to comfort her. "We'll think about it, okay? We'll figure something out. We don't have to kill anyone."

I closed my eyes, taking several deep breaths as I heard her come closer and closer, until she was right in front of me. Her huffs, blowing at my hair.

"There's no one to blame but your brother. He's a selfish asshole who has taken my baby away from me!" she hissed.

I kept my eyes closed.

"It's because he actually loves the children. He wouldn't want anything to happen to them and that is why he's John. I'll never… _never_ blame him for protecting them," I murmured, feeling my heart about to burst out of my chest as there was an inevitable side of me that wished I was the most important thing in his life and he'd come save me.

Suddenly, there was a cry and a loud thump.

My eyes snapped open to see Frank standing on top of Alex with a lamp in his shaking hands.

"Oh, my God…" Mary gasped. "Oh, my God…"

He knelt down and began to silently untie me with nothing on his face to reveal what he was feeling. "Go. Leave."

I painfully tried to get the blood back into my limbs. "W-Why?"

"Because I _know_ she needs help, but… but she's still my little girl. I love her so much!" For the first time, I saw him cry.

Shakily, I managed to stumble to my feet. "You have to come with me. She's going to kill you when she wakes up," I told them, glancing warily at the unconscious woman.

Mart came up to me with a sad look on her face. "Don't worry about us. Just take care of the children, okay?"

"Go!" Frank gave me a firm push towards the door and glared at me until I was out of the room.

When I was half way down the stairs, there was a loud crash. I could feel my heart drop as I realised that Alex was already awake. The elderly couple wasn't going to be able to do anything against her.

I looked around for a phone – any phone, but I couldn't find any. Where was anything?!

"You want to side with the traitor instead of your own daughter?!" she shrieked.

I jumped when I turned and saw that she was just at the top of the stairs with Frank's neck clenched tightly in her hand.

The poor man's face was purple as he struggled against her. Mary was also trying to help her husband, but with a backhand, she was flung to the side.

"You've made me dot his… I never wanted you to go. I love you! You're my father. Why did you have to betray me, too?" she sobbed as if she wasn't literally holding his life in her hands. " _We could've been a family!_ "

"Don't do this, Alex," I called to her. 'They are still your family. They love you. You know they do." I knew that it was unlikely I would be able to convince her of anything, but I had to try. No matter how much I had hated my in-laws, they didn't deserve to die, especially not by their own daughter. They were actually alright people had Alex not poisoned their minds regarding me.

"Please, Alex. I… I'll beg for it. I'll get on my knees. Let them go. It's me who ruined your life. No them." I swallowed hard, wondering what the Hell I was doing. All I had to do was open the damn door and step away. I'd be in good shape with the public eye on us, but I didn't want them to die.

She sneered at me. "Get on your knees."

Pushing away my pride, I did as I was told and painfully bent down, ignoring my body's protests. "Okay, I – "

"Look at what you've done." With that, she let go and he went tumbling down, hitting every step and stopping with a sickening crunch that made my blood run cold.

"N-No… _Why?!_ " I screamed. "He… He's your father! He kept your fuckin' secret because he loved you!"

"And then, he tried to keep Holden away from me, as well. You can't blame me for this," she mumbled, shaking her head.

Suddenly, the door burst open and the light made the both of us recoil. "Police! Drop the knife and put your hands up! Alexandra Brown, you are under arrest!"

John was immediately at my side and I sobbed into his chest. "What took you s-so long?"

He gently kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry. I had to convince them that she had you and it took so long to get a warrant because the first time they came by, Mary and Frank said that everything was fine. They didn't have the grounds to search the place at the time."

When had that happened? Was I awake at the time? I didn't recall hearing any visitors.

"You're safe, now. Let's get you out of here." He helped me on to my feet and began to lead me out.

"Hands up, Ms. Lowe!" Timothy shouted. "Take your hand away from behind you!"

"Shit! She has a gun!" another officer exclaimed.

It took all of two seconds for everything to go horribly wrong.

"Put down the gun!"

Several quick bangs echoed in the house. I was knocked down on to my stomach with a heavy body lying on top of mine.

And then… It was over.

My ears were ringing, but all that was left were shouts from the officers all around us.

"John? John, get off me. You're heavy," I grumbled, twisting my neck to try to see what was keeping him. "John…?"

I managed to wiggle out from beneath him and paled at the sight of the red blossoming out of his back.

"No… No, no, no, no, no…" I mumbled, turning him over to see blood trailing from the corners of his lips. "John, wake up!" I cried, shaking him.

"Shit… John?" Timothy was immediately calling for medics.

"Come on, open your eyes!" I shouted. 'Your kids need you… _I_ need you, John! Y-You can't leave me…"

He let out a low groan and peeled his eyes open. "M-Mad…?"

"I'm here. I'm here," I breathed, stroking his face and wiping away the blood from his chin, but it was useless. More just continued to flow out of him.

A wet cough splattered more all over us, coating my hand in the warm, almost shiny substance. "F-Fuck… She… She… D-Don't let her get them…" His eyes fluttered closed.

I choked back a sob. "I won't! You'll be fine and we'll go get ice c-cream together, okay? We'll spoil the k-kids all you w-want. Ice cream at night and… And you can put your stinky f-feet on the table."

I couldn't let him die. I… I could give him my blood. It would change him like it did for me.

"Get her out of here," I heard someone say.

"No!" I screamed, pushing away the hands that were trying to grab at me. "John, you fuckin' stay alive, you got it?! I-I'm never going to _ever_ forgive you if you died!"

Looking around, I grabbed a drinking glass from the table and smashed it on the floor before taking a sharp piece. With shaky hands, I ran the edge along my wrist, deep enough to keep the blood flowing and placed it on his lips.

"What the Hell is she doing?!"

"Get her out of here!"

"Drink, John. This will help you. You can't leave me," I whispered, fighting to keep my wrist on his lips and everyone began to tug and pull at me. "You can't let her win."

I was finally wrenched away from him. Timothy was trying to comfort me and stem the flow of blood from my wrist at the same time.

"I got her. Go deal with the bitch who shot John," Timothy hissed at Kris who nodded back.

He turned back to me with a frown. "I'm sorry, Madison. That should never have happened. We tried to convince John to stay back, but he wouldn't. They're doing their best to help him now and we'll fry the crazy bitch for trying to take one of our own."

I nodded absentmindedly, watching three officers wrestling Alex into the car.

"This is my fault…" I mumbled, still seeing John's body in front of me.

Timothy tilted his head. "Pardon?"

"This is my fault," I repeated a little louder with my eyes still fixated on the blonde bitch. "I should've gotten rid of her sooner…"

"No, it's not your fault," he quickly replied. "You did everything you could to show everyone that she was a danger to society. The justice system failed you. I… I wished that I could've done more." He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and gave me a firm squeeze, but I could barely feel it.

"She needs to go…" I continued to mumble on.

The officers left her in the back of the police car with only her handcuffs on. It was a mistake, but they wouldn't know that.

They didn't understand that she was no longer human. Those metal cuffs might as well have been made of paper.

"Madison?" Timothy tried to get my attention.

She had abilities that I didn't. Perhaps it was because she was an afflicted longer. Perhaps it was because it unleashed something within us that we kept deep in our hearts, hoping that the darkness would never burst out.

I watched her struggle for only a few seconds before she was free. Once she gained the use of her hands, she easily tore through the metal partition that divided the front and back seats.

"What the fuck?!" someone exclaimed after finally realising that Alex had easily manoeuvred herself into the driver's seat.

Stop her!"

Several uniformed men had their guns out, but none of them were physically able to stop the reinforced car as it started up and began to move.

"Shit! We need back up. Alexandra Brown has hijacked one of our vehicles." Timothy told the dispatcher the license plate as he, too, tried to figure out a way to get to her without killing himself.

I could feel all the anger and hatred searing through the layer of cold numbness.

She wasn't going to get away with this.

"Holy shit!" Kris jumped back when the window to the house suddenly shattered.

I walked several steps towards Alex's car that was quickly disappearing into the distance, but she wasn't going anywhere.

She was finally going to get what was coming for her.

Suddenly, one of the back tires sparked and squealed loudly. And then, it burst before the entire car flipped. It flew through the air and crashed back down, sliding on the roof.

It wasn't enough…

 _It's wasn't enough!_

I quickened my pace as the rest of the officers ran past me, trying to investigate what exactly caused the crash.

It didn't matter.

She was going to die today.

I had given her more than enough chances.

I had given her _too many_ chances.

"Stay back, Ms. Lowe! It's not safe! The car could – "

It burst into flames and quickly consumed the metal casing.

Her screams could be heard piercing through the cold, crisp air and only stopping when the flames hit the gas tank.

A wave of heat blew by, stopping everyone in their tracks, but I kept going.

Not enough…

After a few seconds, her burning form began to crawl out through the shattered window.

The paramedics were cautioned to stay back in case of anymore explosions, but when she began to run towards us, everyone knew that something was wrong.

Her shriek echoed through the neighbourhood.

"What the Hell is going on?!"

These officers were going to have an exciting story to tell, today.

The flaming hunk of metal rattled loudly before it shot up into the sky and came crashing back down on to the black, charcoaled form, silencing it for the last time.

"Holy shit…" Tim mumbled.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Uuummm… So… Yeah, that happened… I mean… It wasn't _all_ bad… right? Ahaha…

Thank you **Mystery Angle, Bootzy, ShatteredSoul37, Brookie Twiling, WickedlyMinx, Panda Nyxus, KilalaInara,** guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Mystery Angle** : I'm kinda worried it's going to go all wrong, but I'm also curious to see how Madi will fit into Roanoke!

 **Bootzy** : I kinda would too! :P

 **Guest** : Yes! I thought I dragged this story on long enough. It's the longest one I've written in the series so far.

 **ShatteredSoul37** : Ahahaha! I really can't wait to get to Kai, but I'll have to rewatch the season. I was pretty angry with the ending.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Hehe… Madi used _something_! And umm... James is _definitely_ going to be pissed, now, but what can he do? I thought reaaaaalllyyy hard to make it into a happy ending, buuuuuut… I'm me. What can I do? xD

 **Brookie Twiling** : Oops! Thanks for pointing that out! I feel kind of sad that I didn't really have much of Sally in it even though I didn't like her that much in the show.

 **Guest** : -cough- I'm thinking of more forbidden relationship if I write Madi into Cult xD

 **WickedlyMinx** : Aww… Thank you! :D

 **Panda Nyxus** : Thank you so much! I loooove dark, forbidden romances! Muahahaha!

 **KilalaInara** : Yes yes yes! I was so upset with Roanoke! I hope if I write it, it'll turn out okay…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed it!


	38. Chapter 38

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

John was taken to the hospital. Just on the ambulance, they had to resuscitate him twice.

I was on the verge of a full out panic attack. I never thought of a life without John. HE was my brother, my lover, my everything. I had never known a second without him.

"It's going to be okay," Tim repeated again and again, while waiting with me in the sterile hospital lobby.

I could still see and feel his blood on me.

It had been a good four hours of slowly descending into insanity before a doctor finally came out to speak with us. He removed his mask and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Before he even opened his mouth, I could already feel that he didn't have any good news. I just needed a chance. I needed him to be alive. That was my only requirement. Perhaps he had managed to ingest some of my blood and it would help him. I wasn't too sure how it worked, but Morgan must've mentioned something about giving blood.

"Ms. Lowe? I understand you're John's sister?" he asked.

I nodded, mutedly at him.

He let out a long, tired sigh. "I'm Dr. Connor Anderson. John had sustained four bullet wounds. One pierced his lung. Another grazed his heart. He had lost a lot of blood. We… We did what we could, but… I'm truly sorry for your loss."

I stared blanket at him, feeling my body slowly numbing over. It felt as if it didn't even belong to me anymore.

Timothy was the one to talk to the doctor as I swayed on my feet.

"Hey, do you need to sit down?" He caught my arm as I stumbled against him.

I shook my head. "No, I just… I just need to see him. _Please_."

He looked back at the doctor who nodded, so he slowly led me into the room where the nurses were wheeling away equipment that needed to be cleaned.

John was lying on the bed with a bloody sheet over his body.

With a deep breath, I peeled the cloth away from his face and let out a sob as I stared at his pale, lifeless face.

"Why…? Why did you do it?!" I cried, touching his cold cheek. "You knew that I would've been fine. Why did you do it?"

There was so much I wanted to say, but nothing would be able to express what I was feeling. This immeasurable amount of sadness, regret, self-hatred, and anger.

Sniffing, I turned my watery eyes at Tim.

"I… I'll give you some privacy," he quietly offered. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thank y-you," I whispered.

Once he was gone, I gave him a kiss on the lips. "I love you. I love you so much. What are we going to do, now? What am I going to tell James and the children?"

I thought about the reactions. It was going to devastate everyone. T he children had already lost their mother. I tried my best to fill the role, but John was irreplaceable.

" _Please_ , come back," I begged.

Looking at the fading mark on my wrist, I reopened the wound with my teeth, sucked up as much blood as I could, and fed it to him mouth to mouth. Some of it leaked out of the corners of his lips, but most of it made it to the back of his throat before I massaged it down.

The likelihood was that it wouldn't work, but I had to try. I had to have _something_ to hold on to for as long as I could or I was sure that I was going to fall apart.

"Wake up, John. _Please_ ," I sobbed into his chest.

Five minutes passed…

Fifteen…

Fifty…

Eventually, Timothy came back and gently coaxed me away. "Come on. I'll drive you back. Are you sure you don't want the doctors to tend to you? You were taken hostage for a while." He eyed my blood-stained shirt and the tear at my shoulder.

I nodded, wiping my eyes. "I just want to go home."

As we were making our way to the elevator, I was met with the bloodshot eyes of Mary Brown.

We simply stared at each other for a moment before we were holding each other, crying at our losses.

For Mary, she had lost both her husband and her daughter. She had to watch her daughter kill her own husband.

"I'm so sorry," she cried. "I just wanted what's best for her. I never realised how far gone she was. I wanted to believe that she was still my beautiful baby."

I wanted to forgive her, but I knew that I never could. Their collective actions had gotten John killed. Even if she knew what she did wrong, it didn't change what they had taken away from me.

"I'm sorry," she repeated one more time before I stepped away.

I gave her a small nod and returned to Timothy who was waiting for my by the elevator.

Once we were in the car, he turned back to me. "If you need anything… anything at all, I'm only a phone call away. Money, organising the… the funeral. You know the team will do anything in their power to help. John was part of the family. He was our brother in arms."

"I… I never thought he'd be the first to go," I quietly told him. "I have always been the reckless one. I was the one who nearly overdosed myself. I went to rehab. I drive like an idiot. I… I should've been the one to die. Not him. Never him…"

"He wouldn't want that. He always spoke about you, even when you were off partying at three in the morning and he was still at work. He'd always take some time off just to drive you back home. He told us all how proud he was after you got clean. Shit… He spoke about you so much that we all thought there was something funny going on between you guys," he chuckled.

If I wasn't so devastated, I would've blushed. I never knew that he spoke about me to anyone. I was hardly worth talking about.

"Do you need help going in?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I'll be fine. I just want to take a sh-shower and…" The tears were coming out, again. I didn't even know that I could cry so much. "And I just… w-want to be alone…"

"I understand. Give me a ring if you need anything," he offered, again.

I walked out like a zombie, stumbling into the lobby and startling Iris when my knees buckled and I fell on to the musky carpet.

"Madison! Oh, my God! It's Madison! She's back, guys!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to me. "Oh, God… Let me help you with that!" She gently touched my wrists, but I stopped her. No, the physical pain was the only thing fighting the emotional pain. I needed it to distract me.

"Darling, you need a stiff drink," Liz said.

Normally, that would solve all my problems… temporarily, but I didn't think anything would be able to make me feel better at this point.

Everyone was around me, even Donovan and Drake. They were both shirtless with ruffled hair. I would've congratulated them had I been in a better mindset.

"Madi…" James knelt beside me. "Tell me what happened. Was it Alexandra? Where's John?" He cupped my cheeks and wiped away the stream of tears still falling steadily down my face.

I collapsed into his arms, burying my face into his shirt. I couldn't say it. Whenever I opened my mouth, there was nothing but a squeak and more tears. I couldn't do this. I needed to go to sleep and wake up to find that this was only a horrible nightmare. I would even accept it if I woke up back in that damn house as long as John was still alive somewhere.

"I love you, Madi," James murmured, stroking my hair. "I love you…" He reached for my wrists and placed kisses on both of them.

He scooped me into his arms, brushing past the crowd of confused and concerned spectators and stepped into the elevator.

"He's gone, James," I whispered into the empty, metal chamber. My voice was quiet, but the words echoed over and over again in my head.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked as if he was hearing things.

"He's gone," I repeated, pressing my tired eyes against his neck.

"How…?" he breathed, tightening his grip on me.

"Th-That fuckin' b-bitch killed him!" I sobbed. "That… fuckin'… No good… _bitch_!"

"Shit…" he cursed under his breath.

…

This was not what he expected. He had always thought that John would die at the Hotel where he could stay with them forever. If he knew that John was so damn fragile, he would've killed him here when he had the chance and boy did he have many chances.

He kissed the top of her head before laying her down on the bed. "Sleep. We'll handle this tomorrow."

She sluggishly shook her head. "John… John is…"

"I know," he mumbled, gently pressing his lips on hers to silent the words. It only took a second for her eyes to flutter close and a few more for her to finally fall asleep.

What was he going to do, now? He couldn't even leave and see the body. Was he going to have to wait a year to find out if John was going to drop by and grace them with his presence?

Not only that, he anticipated a lot of wailing tomorrow when they broke out the news to the little aliens. He didn't want to be there when it happened, but he also didn't want to leave her to handle this alone.

He went downstairs once she was safely tucked beneath the covers. "Is she okay?" Iris was the first to ask.

There were several of them still at the lobby, sitting in front of the fireplace.

Sucking in his cheeks, he found it difficult to announce the news to them. It was rare for members of their freak show to leave. They usually just died here and their antics would continue on.

"John's dead," he eventually blurted out.

There was a long pause.

Liz stood up and clamped her hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, darling. This must be absolutely devastating for you and Madison."

"Was it his wife?" Will Drake frowned. He seemed very comfortable in the presence of both the afflicted and the ghosts. Had someone finally filled him in? Perhaps Donovan. There were small scratch and bite marks along his neck.

" _Ex_ -wife," James growled. "I will tear her head from her body for what she did."

Alex Lowe had also somehow managed to kidnap Madi. He wasn't entirely sure how, since all the staff were on the lookout. Who was not doing their job?

"Damn shame…" Sally remarked, blowing out a ring of smoke. "This is why I never got married. Cant' trust anyone not to turn into a crazy asshole."

Iris glared at her. "Not like anyone would want to marry you, anyway."

"Alright, ladies. Let's move on to the more important issue at hand," Drake cut in. "We'll help out on John's funeral and anything she needs and don't overwhelm her until she's ready."

They continued to discuss what they were going to do. The loss fell heavily on them. John had been in and out of the Hotel for the past six years, now. Most of them had gotten to know him quite well.

Eventually, James let out a long, tired sigh. He didn't want to hear about this, anymore. He never thought that death could affect him in such a way. Even his own life hadn't meant much. As soon as the police ran through his Hotel, he ended it without a second thought.

Miss Evers had also voluntarily died with him. It was all very tragic, but…

He froze.

Where was Miss Evers? She had gone missing again after Madi was taken. He didn't want to think about it, but could she have something to do with it?

Madi had very vocally expressed her suspicion. He had dismissed them all because he couldn't find a reason why his long time companion would betray him.

"Miss Evers!" he shouted down the hall where he knew she typically frequented. "Miss Evers!"

The anger increased the longer she kept him waiting.

Finally, the redheaded maid hastily came out of her room with a wide smile on her face. "Yes, Mr. Match? How may I help you? Would you like me to draw you a bath? Cook you dinner? Change your bed sheets? I am always happy to serve you."

"No. No. Nothing like that," he replied, staring at her nervous fidgeting with a raised eyebrow. "But I do have a few questions for you."

"Of course! Come in. Would you like me to – "

She brushed past her and sat himself on the armchair. "Sit, Miss Evers."

She clasped her hand in her lap. "What did you want to ask me?"

He grilled her on her whereabouts on the day Madi went missing.

Immediately, her anxiety rose as she gave him a generic answer.

"Cleaning? Which room?" he pressed on. "I have people telling me that you were in my room." Of course, that was a lie. He really had nothing on her, except his gut feeling.

"I… I was cleaning your room! We have to keep all the dust away. It's terribly bad for your lungs," she stuttered.

He more than just suspected her, now. He was quite certain that she had something to do with that had indirectly caused the death or John Lowe. "Who did you let in, Miss Evers? Who was the special guest? _Who had taken Madi to the fuckin' bitch who killed John?!"_

"I… I…" She stared at him with wide eyes and trembling lips. "I only ever wanted the best for you, Mr. March. All that I've done is only for you. Since _they_ came, they've brought nothing but trouble. It's better now that they're both gone, isn't it?"

With gritted teeth, he disappeared and quickly reappeared behind her, seizing her neck with his hand.

She burst into tears. "I only ever w-wanted what's b-best for you… Everything I've d-done. I love you, Mr. March. I would do _anything_ for you!" Her face was becoming swollen from the pressure around her neck. W-Why can't you see _me_? I've been with you all th-this time."

"I don't know why you think you're so special. John was my lover. Madi is my lover," he hissed, squeezing tighter.

She trembled in his grip. "You're always falling for the wrong people. I tried to steer you away from the Countess. I never thought we'd die when I called the police. They said they were just going to investi– "

He stopped listening after that. For nearly a century, he thought Elizabeth had been the one to betray him, but it was _**Miss Evers**_?!"

The admission was astonishing. What else had she lied to him about?

"And Madi… She was never a bad influence. She had never done anything wrong. _Why her?!"_ he roared. His knuckles were turning white as her eyes began to bulge out of their sockets.

She continued to choke and strain against his grip. "B-Because I love you, M-Mr. March. She d-doesn't deserve y – "

He snapped her neck and dropped her body on to the floor.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I just watched the first episode of Apocalypse! And I'm not sure what to think of it, yet… Anyone else watched it? What did you guys think?

To avoid spoilers, don't read the reviews! Or read it at your own discretion :P

Thank you **Vivi H88, Lexxxloubell** , guests ( **Guest, Guest, anonymouscsifan** )

 **Guest** : Aaaah~! So basically umm… There was this scene in Coven where Madison Montgomery flipped a bus out of anger after basically being raped and I was heavily inspired by that for this scene. In mine, Alex was trying to get away in the police car, but Madi was finally able to bring out the powers from Queenie's blood and crashed the car. A spark hit the gas tank, causing it to blow (similar to what happened to Madi in this story), but because she's an afflicted, she doesn't just die. She tried to get away, but Madi made the far fly up and fall on to her body, completely crushing her and giving her no chance of survival. The rest of the police force are just completely stunned by the display. Aaaaand that's it :D Sorry for the long reply lol I never meant for any confusion. I hope that helped.

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Guest** : Yeeeeeeeep… Alex be deaaaaad. Dead as a doornail (I have no idea what that really means). Umm… Regarding John… Well…. Yeaaaaaaaaaaah…. Don't kill me!

I'm so glad you don't think I dragged this story too much! Unfortunately, it will be ending soon, but from the replies I had last time with Roanoke, I'll probably do something with that. Are there any other seasons that you like? I personally like most of them, except for Roanoke and I guess I wasn't too big on Coven sometimes (Madison Montgomery scenes *cough*).

 **anonymouscsifan** : Yess! I'm so glad you picked up on that Coven-inspired scene! I was going to elaborate on the demon in _V_ , but I've postponed it because I felt like it wasn't going anywhere, yet. I had a really clear idea of what I wanted to do at first, but now I'm not sure… Especially since I Just added John into the mix in this story. I'm trying to connect all the seasons together, but I feel like I need to plan it a little better if I want to make it into a full story.

I was soooo excited when I saw the trailer. I rarely watch trailers 'cause I just don't like spoilers, but someone sent it to me, soooo yeah… I love zombies and post-apocalyptic survival stuff. After watching the first episode, though, I'm kinda on the fence. The atmosphere didn't match the one in my head, but at least Evan Peters isn't wearing a horrible grey wig like in X-Men… I gave the wiki page a look and it seems like Jessica Lange is in it, along with the entire Harmon family and TATE! I hope it's not a copout cross over like last time with Twisty the Clown in Cult. I need some intense Tate or really any intense Evan Peters character. He's a little obnoxious, right now, but I'm okay with it. AS LONG AS HE SURVIVES BECAUSE HE ALWAYS DIES!

Okay, I'm done now.

 **Lexxxloubell:** Not the end, yet! But almost. Dun dun duuuuun~!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	39. Chapter 39

_**Note**_ _ **: This chapter may need a little bit of prior knowledge to previous seasons, but not too much.**_

 **CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

How could he have been so oblivious to what had been going on in his Hotel? All of this could've been preventable.

Although he would never go back to Elizabeth when he had Madi, he wondered if they could've remained friends. They didn't have to kill her. They would've been a formidable force together, just as they had been as business partners.

"Damn it!" He tore the room apart before dropping heavily on to the armchair, once more.

John would still be alive if he hadn't been such a fool. Now, he had to make sure that no one else could hurt Madi. He didn't know what Miss Evers would do when she found out that Madi was back and very much alive.

He quickly popped back into his room. She was still slumbering in their bed, but a deep frown marred her face as her head tossed left and right.

He lay down beside her, gently shook her awake. "You're safe, my dear. I will not allow anyone else to harm you." He kissed away the tears that were streaming down her face.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she was immediately crying into his chest as he tried his best to calm her down.

"I want John…" she wailed, gripping his shirt tightly, leaving deep wrinkles in the previously ironed fabric. "I want John!"

He rocked her against him.

"Why did he have to go?" she hiccoughed.

He thought the same thing. "He didn't want to leave you," he replied. "It was Miss Evers who took you. Be very careful of her. If you want a spirit to leave you alone. Tell them to "go away." It'll keep them from approaching you, but must still be wary. Someone else had been collaborating with them. They took you from our room."

"When is this going to end? I just want to be left alone." She curled up around him like a baby koala.

"It will end, soon, my love," he promised.

"Go back to sleep. You must recover from your wounds," he urged her.

She shook her head in return. "I don't want to. I keep seeing him. It was because of my that he's dead. If only I could use these stupid powers. I tried, but… nothing… _nothing_ happened until it was already too late. What's the point?"

He kissed her head before tilting her chin to consume her lips. "Let me help you."

There was only one thing he knew what to do to distract her from what had happened.

His hand made easy work of her buttons and in record time, they were both bare. He hushed her protests. She was only going to beg for more, tonight.

He spread her legs, kissing his way up her inner thigh, until he had this tongue buried inside her.

Her fingers tangled in his hair as she buckled her hips, crying out his name. Just as she was about to cum, she leaned back, wincing slightly when she pulled on his hair, hoping that he would finish her off.

"Patience, my dear." He went over to his secret dresser and ran his hand over the new toys they had gotten on Hallowe'en. He decided on one that was slightly misshapen, slightly twisted, slightly bumpy, and larger than what she was used to.

She took one look at it and shook her head. "It's not going to fit!" she protested, wondering if he was truly trying to kill her with that.

He kissed her lips. 'It will. T he human body is just such an astounding creation. It will adapt and it will stretch. In no time at all, we will try the bigger ones."

Her eyes bugged out. " _Bigger?!_ " She didn't recall them purchasing anything bigger, but from what she heard, John had taken several trips to the toy shop before.

He rubbed the tip along her nether lips until it was covered with her juice. "Relax," he purred, sliding his fingers in to make sure that she was ready.

His digit came back drenched, but she was still too tight and tense. He was really going to tear her in two if he wasn't careful.

After sliding another finger in, he could feel her on the verge. He quickly slid out, chuckling when she whimpered and arched her back for more.

"Relax," he urged, again.

As he waited, her soft pants were the only sound. His thumb stroked her navel, until he felt that she was ready.

The bulbous head probed her lips and slowly continued its penetration. Inch by inch, it disappeared inside her.

"How does it feel?" He licked the spot just above the rest of the shaft still protruding out of her.

Only a squeak escaped her upper lips.

He chuckled, pushing the toy in a little further. Just a little more… Finally, it could go in no further.

Her eyes fluttered, it could go in no further.

Her eyes fluttered. His name was a slur of sounds. He loved that he could make her fall apart and forget just about anything. "Not yet, my dear. Hold it in."

"No… No…" she mumbled, shaking her head.

He slid the dildo out of her and waited until she was lucid enough to glare at him. "James! If you don't – "

He drew her into a deep, passionate kiss, cutting off any further complaints.

From the corner of his eyes, it appeared looming over the bed with its head tilted. He wanted to snarl and claim that Madi was his, but didn't want to alert her of the demon's presence.

It extended a clawed hand forward, but James quickly slapped it away. The demon glared at him before disappearing out of sight.

Satisfied that he had won the silent battle, he focused back on Madi who had her hand around his member, lazily stroking up and down.

"Do you want me?" he whispered against her lips.

" _Please_." Her pleading eyes stared at him in a way that made blood shoot straight down.

With a teasing smirk, he slid the toy out of her and guided himself in, feeling her slowly tighten back around him. She was so deliciously hot and wet. He could stay inside her forever.

Unfortunately, he had left her waiting too long. With several quick thrusts, she was a writhing, sobbing mess beneath him. Her walls clamped down on his cock, milking him for the cum he wasn't willing to give, yet.

"Bad girl!" he scolded, glaring playfully at her. "You didn't have permission." His hand landed loudly on her rear, causing her to gasp and shudder. "You need to be punished."

As he was about to retrieve another toy, a cold hand on his lower back kept him in place. He felt the sharp tip probe his entrance and just as he was about to protest, a voice made them all froze.

"That belongs to _me_ ," the velvety voice growled.

Madi immediately lifted herself on to her elbows to turn sharply to see John in an outfit that even James deemed strange, but damn if he didn't look good in it.

"John!" she exclaimed with wide eyes.

It was difficult to believe what exactly she was seeing. Was this some weird dream? It would explain the strange green mist that surrounded them.

The demon was behind James, but its neck had been seized by John who was in a long, black cloak and a top hat. What was with that hair and beard? It was like he was the ringleader of some sort of freak show.

"Hello, Madison." He smiled fondly at her. "Don't mind me. Carry on as I dispose of this vermin."

The demon glared back at him and suddenly turned into wisps of black smoke that circled the room before settling in the darkest corner. Only two glowing red eyes could be seen.

"W-What's going on? You died! And I know for a fact that you're not like James. You can't just reappear after being shot!" she exclaimed. Tears welled up in her bloodshot eyes.

He sighed, walking around the bed to take a seat on the mattress beside her. His hand ran down her hair and cupped her cheek. The thumb gently wiped away at the droplets that were sliding down her face.

"John…"

"That is not my name," he quietly told her. "I am Edward Mordrake. I was forced into a mortal body by _that_ ," he gestured to the quietly hissing demon. 'Or… He tried to get rid of me, but I managed to flee. I found an inhabited foetus and stayed there to regain my strength."

Her head was spinning. "I… I don' t understand. Was – But… You're my brother! Am I going mad? Was none of it real?" She didn't understand anything, at all, and beneath the stranger's eyes, she was feeling extremely vulnerable. With a quick hand, she snatched up the covers to wrap it around herself.

"Just tell the girl, already!" Another voice came from out of nowhere. It was dark and unpleasant and made her skin crawl.

"Be quiet," John – Edward? – hissed back.

"Everything was real. I foolishly fell in love with you despite only meaning to bide my time. I truly had no memories of my past life until the present was lost. IT's quite ironic really. _He_ tried to destroy me so that I'd stay away from you, but all it did was bringing us closer together." He reached back to run his hand down her bare neck and shoulder. "I do love you, Madison. You were my sister for more than a quarter of a century. My feelings for you will not change, but the circumstances have. I have responsibilities elsewhere. There are lost spirits who need me."

She shook her head. "No. What about _me_. _I_ need you, too! Don't I matter, anymore?! I don't care if you're John or Edward. I love you!"

He sighed. "This could have all been avoided. His obsession with you shall be both of your downfalls."

"What on Earth are you sprouting?" James shot him an incredulous look. "All this nonsense when the only thing we want is to have you naked. Stop with the excuses and take those damn things off!"

Leave it to James to always turn everything back to sex.

She tried to keep referring to him as Edward Mordrake, but it was difficult breaking decades of habit. It didn't matter that he had a weird chin beard, now. He was always going to be John Lowe – her brother.

"I do not have much longer here. I am still recovering from the injury," John stated. He glanced back to the demon. "You'll have _him_ to thank for everything. It's all very ironic."

She glared when he chuckled. Did he really find this funny? Unable to help herself, her hand flew out, slapping him across the face.

"Whoa! Girl is feisty!" the back of his head sneered.

"Alright. Fine! You're some weird ass spirit dressed like a pompous prick!" James snorted at her words. "Shut up, James! But where is that other voice coming from? What the Hell is going on!?" It still felt as if she was in some strange drug-induced hallucination.

John sighed, again. "Something I wish I never had. Alas, I was born with it and it followed me after death."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" He turned around to reveal a… another face? It was deformed, but definitely a face. "Girly, you're hot. Come on, Eddy, let's give her a good fucking before we leave. If not for you, do it for me! How long has it been since we last had some nice piece of ass?"

The demon growled, lunging forward, tackling John to the floor.

There were flurries of shouts, movements, and screams before they separated, once more. John had a deep scratch on his face. "You can't kill me. It's a pity that you can't seem to understand that we can co-exist together." John wiped the bead of blood away before turning back to us. "Do take care. I will leave you a parting gift. Ms. Hazel Rivers will be taken under my care, as well as her accomplice, Mr. Cramer. You shall never have to deal with her again."

His eyes were different when he looked at me for what felt like the last time. They were much colder as if the only thing that still kept him here were the lingering memories of us together – like a television series that would soon be forgotten.

"John…" I whispered, slowly climbing out of bed to reach him, but James held me back. " _Please…_ "

But was he even my brother anymore? This Edward Mordrake who wore his face…

"We will meet again. Perhaps not in this life time and you may not remember me, but we will meet again."

She shook my head.

"Good bye, my dear."

He turned around and was consumed by the green mist, leaving me with a broken heart and the inability to process what had just happened. Had she just lost him a second time?

"It's better than if he just died," James quietly told her.

I shook my head. "Is it? I feel as if he doesn't love me anymore. _John_ had given his life to save mine! This… This Edward Mordrake looked at me as if I was barely more than a stranger!"

He kissed my shoulder.

She pursed her lips and turned her eyes on the moving mass of shadows. "This is your fault!" she shouted. "Why? Why did you have to send him to me?!" All the heart break could have been avoided if she never had him as her brother, but… Did she really even want that?

There was a loud whine and it came flying over.

James tried to block its path, but it merely slipped around him.

"Madi… Don't be… angry…"

"Love… Madi…"

It tired to rub his head on my cheek as it did before in my dreams, but I forcefully pushed it away. "Why did you hurt John?!" A part of my felt betrayed. It had visited me several times in my dreams. It made me trust it, but it had all been a lie! This demon had hurt John!

"Madi…" it moaned sadly before taking the form of the wrapped demon, again. It curled on the floor, dripping its head. Its bloodshot eyes were clenched shut as it rocked back and forth.

James finally had enough. He got out of bed and pulled the demon up by its neck. "Alright, I've had you in my Hotel for long enough. What do you want with my Madi?!"

It whimpered before hissing back. "Madi… My Madi…" It was as if the demon couldn't decide what it was feeling.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Who are you? What do you even want from me?!"

It turned its dark tortured eyes at me. "Love… Love… _Please_ …"

"She'll _never_ love you!" James snarled.

It whined, reaching out with a claw towards me.

 _"Madi…"_

 _"Remember me…"_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Aaaaand this might've been kind of confusing if you haven't read any of my other stories or watched the previous seasons of AHS. Please feel free to ask questions and I'll try my best to answer them!

Thank you **Vivi H88, Lexxxloubell, MrsWhitlockBlack, KilalaInara** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I think she can if she can if she harnessed her powers properly, but this Madi is not really compatible with it since it really belongs to Queenie, so it's kind of just doing its own thing (at least that's my own interpretation). Oops… Thanks for pointing out Mr. Match xD I'm sure he doesn't appreciate me getting his name wrong. Since I already revealed her accomplice, who did you think it was?

I liked this episode of Apocalypse a lot more. Mr. Gallant and the Rubber Man… Aaaaahhh! I need Evan Peters to last this season without dying! Also, I never even considered the possibility of Murder House being only a memory. I really hope not. It's just a cop out when that happens. I wonder what happens to the spirits when the places they're stuck to are gone though.

 **Vivi H88** : Thank you!

 **Guest** : Yeaaaah! Alex is dead! And umm… Yeah… John is kinda dead? I loved the second episode of Apocalypse! I totally ship Evan Peters characters with each other –cough–

 **Lexxxloubell** : Oops… Umm… Yeah…

 **MrsWhitlockBlack** : Thank you so much! I completely agree with your statement about not enough AHS fanfics with OCs! I haven't read too many, but something about this show just keeps me inspired to write on!

 **KilalaInara** : D: Sowwy! Have a tissue!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	40. Chapter 40

**CHAPTER FORTY**

I sat numbly through the funeral. Everyone was there. I had managed to pull some strings and have it held at the Hotel's ballroom where the spirits were able to attend.

Each condolence just made everything worse. A much as I appreciated the sentiments, I only wanted to pretend that he wasn't actually gone and in a way, he wasn't. I couldn't find any closure because it felt as if he wanted to leave me by choice. His explanation seemed like a poor excuse.

James had done all the speeches, while I did everything in my power to keep the tears in. Once he was done, he sat back down and placed a gentle kiss to the side of my head.

"I'm so tired," I whispered, squeezing his hand tightly.

He sighed. "I know, but I will not have you leave me, too."

The rest of the procession went by at a snail's pace. His body was just buried in the small patch of lawn we had at the back with a giant stone marker. I stayed there until the sun was long gone, hoping that he'd come again to visit, but he never did.

"I love you," I sobbed. Once the tears began, they wouldn't stop.

I stayed by the statue even when first snow fell, slowly covering everything in a blanket of white.

"It's cold, Madi. You'll get sick." James tried to get me to leave, but I shook my head, so he left.

Minutes later, he came back with a blanket and candle. He stayed with me all night. If I closed my eyes and tried hard enough, it was as if he was still with us.

When dawn arrived, we watched the sunrise together. I felt so hollow. We were supposed to have another fifty years of sins together. I'd laugh at him when we looked back at all the times when he was still with Alex and how stupid he had been.

No, I should've tried to change him. How much would things have changed if he became one of the afflicted? He would've been able to survive those bullets. Not only that, we'd have more than fifty years together. We'd have an eternity to be happy.

"I miss him so much," I mumbled with my head leaning on the frozen marble.

James clenched his jaw. "We will see him when Devil's Night arrives and we'll hunt him down on Hallowe'en if he doesn't."

So two days a year we _might_ still see him.

Even then, was he even still my John? Did my brother ever exist or was he just a mask – a shell – for Edward Mordrake to hide behind?

The days continued to pass one after another. It became more and more difficult to get out of bed. I just wanted to hide from the world. I wasn't even in the mood to do anything with James. I knew that I was hurting him, but he was patient. He stayed with me day and night.

"I miss him, James." I sounded like a broken record, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I kept expecting to wake up one day and he'd be right there. Or maybe he'd come back from the park with the kids.

The kids…

Telling them had been one of the most difficult things I had to do. Their eyes were immediately filled with tears. I had tried so hard to keep it together for them, but it was impossible when there were so many shattered pieces. All I could do to comfort them was holding them as tightly as I could and cry.

Even then, with his clear disdain for children, James was there and even tried to stop them from crying.

When the tears finally dried, weeks had bled to months. Jack had called and I told Will Drake the truth before I bought the Hotel from him. There were so many memories here. I wasn't going to be able to let them go.

Will Drake looked almost relieved to finally be rid of this cursed establishment that was just awaiting a law suit and he wasn't particularly surprised that I had been the mystery buyer.

Despite no longer running the Hotel Cortez anymore, I allowed him free room and board when he requested to stay with Donovan here.

Iris was beginning to accept their relationship and even babysat Lachlan whenever she could. Half the time, she begged o keep the boy a little longer. It was as if he was her second chance. I was glad that she was finally happy. She deserved it.

Liz, unfortunately, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. She helped out with Will Drake's company for a while before deciding to give herself as food for the afflicted. She had a fun time groping us. Her spirit lived on in the hotel where she was able to reunite with Tristan.

Sally and Queenie formed a strange kind of friendship. Destruction followed wherever they went and when I finally rigged up stable wifi, the voodoo witch taught the other woman about social media. They had a large collection of questionable photos.

Holden had matured slightly since John's passing. He valued everything just a little more and he acted like a very tiny protector for his sister who was growing suspiciously close to Will Drake's son. To put it down into writing, neither James nor I approved of the relationship. She was far too young to date, especially when there were so many rooms in the hotel where the boy could easily take advantage of her young, impressionable mind. She was too innocent for him!

James was determined to lock her in our room if he ever caught them even holding hands. He had really started filling in the fatherly role for the two children. I had never seen him like that before, but it only made me love him even more.

Not soon enough, Devil's Night was here. I waited anxiously for him to arrive. I waited and waited, even enduring the lewd behaviour of all the other serial killers, but twenty four hours came and went too quickly.

He didn't come.

He was never going to come.

James took me out on Hallowe'en to try to lift my mood, but nothing would help. A piece of me was missing and I didn't think I was ever going to get it back.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Why am I so bad at endings? I really thought this was going to be longer and I did write something else for this, but I decided to take the entire thing out, soo… Yeah… I wish I just tacked this on to the last chapter.

I'm probably going to take next week off to start planning Roanoke and probably rewatch it. What I'm going to do is probably add the chapters into **Vanity** , so go check there for Roanoke!

Thank you **WickedlyMinx, Lexxxloubell** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Oops! Thanks for pointing that out! Why do I keep doing that D: Regarding Mordrake and Madi. I never mentioned it in this story, but he didn't actually have any romantic feelings towards her. He was attracted to her sadness and pain, but the demon is possessive. It inadvertently just drove them closer together.

I am not eager to see Madison Montgomery, again… Everyone else is fine.

 **Guest** : John Lowe is… kinda like Mordrake's reincarnation, but not really? His spirit possessed a spiritless body and then just grew up in it without any of his memories. When John died, Mordrake was free once more in his spirit form and everything is back to normal for him, but not for all the people John had touched.

 **WickedlyMinx** : D: Check your private messaging! I think I forgot to answer that question you had because I'm an idiot and didn't press send…

 **Guest** : Aaaaaand nothing gets resolved really in this, but I'm already planning how to reveal everything! I think? xD

 **Lexxxloubell** : I know what you mean lol It's kinda really weird.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	41. Sequel is Up!

**SEQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT!**

The first chapter of Roanoke Nightmare is now posted under the story _**Vanity**_.

Thank you **Lexxxloubell** , guests ( **Guest, anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Guest** : Thank you so much!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Haha! Queenie and Sally would make such an unusual duo! I liked seeing past Evan Peters' characters again, but I didn't like how they brought back the females, but not what I wanted them to include (if you know what I mean*coughcough*). Granted, I'm one episode behind now, so I hope some things have changed.

 **Lexxxloubell** : The demon is a recurring mystery character that I will eventually reveal in the series :D

As always, thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!


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